Never Give Up
by Kellai-chan
Summary: After Naraku dies, Kikyo sees no reason to wander the world of the living anymore. Inuyasha, overcome with sorrow from Kikyo's decision, accidently attacks Kagome. Kagome flees, never to return. How will Inuyasha deal with what he has done?[on hiatus]
1. Chapter 1 Painful Memories

A/N: Ok, so once again I have rewritten the entire story. I mainly looked for major plot glitches, added things to give more depth to the characters as well as fixed spelling and grammatical errors. I hope it is up to par now, seeing as it was incredibly awful before. Well not as bad as my first draft, thank goodness.

So just one other thing. This story is going to contain a few major-ish spoilers. I assume that most reading the story  
have not seen ALL the episodes or read ALL of the manga whichI have.. hence the spoilers. If you have, none of this will come as a surprise to you.

Now, I know that Kagura does die in the Manga in the chapter. '_Wind' _in manga 38 which I was fortunate to find and now own but for the sake of my story and just because I love her character she will be alive still. Also, the way she was killed and how she was unable to be revived by Tenseiga will be slightly ignored, mind you it will come into play later and I will try to follow Takahashi-san's reasoning of why Kagura cuold not be revived... Sorry if that was confusing.

For my story, it does not mater what happens after manga 37 one reason why Kagura is not dead.. as that happens in 38 for I am not taking into consideration anything that happens then, for I would have to continually change my story and things would get uber-confusing.

I believe thats it. So onto the story.

Hope you enjoy D.

* * *

**Never Give Up**

A FanFiction By xFallenxGoddessx

Chapter 1 - Painful Memories

* * *

-_Anata no koto wo omou_

_Sore dake de namida ga_

_Ima afuredashite kuru yo-_

Upon her bed, sat a young woman. Her raven-black hair swayed in the slight breeze coming from the open window, while her eyes remained fixed on the world outside. She gazed at the setting sun, her face holding no emotion.

_It was so much prettier in Feudal Japan… No… Pollution,_ she thought.

_No! Don't think about that, you'll just start crying again_, she scolded herself.

Kagome clasped her hands together and held them tight to her chest, trying to stop the painful feeling that had encased her heart, subconsciously knowing there was no cure.

What she wouldn't give to go back in time and change what had happened. If maybe she had done just one thing differently…

Maybe none of this one have happened…

_I'm sorry…_

_I'll always love you…_

_-Hakanai omoi zutto_

_Donna toki demo negau yo_

_Anata ni todoku you ni to…-_

**--Flash back-- **

"Ow! My arm." Cursed the silver haired hanyou, as he tripped over a root hidden by underbrush, and landed in the hot spring. "Aii!" He yelled, heaving himself out of the boiling hot water. He tried to take off toward the forest, for cover, but didn't get far before,

"**_OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI!"_** An angry, unclothed, and dripping wet teenager yelled. She covered herself as best she could and ran to the spot where her towel and backpack lay. Grabbing the two items, she ran into nearby bushes to change.

She emerged a few minutes later with her green and white uniform on. Walking over to the spot where a new hole had been made, she peeked over the side to see how deep it was this time.

Inuyasha lay at the bottom of the hole, waiting for the spell to wear off…

_Stupid girl, _he thought.

Kagome looked down at the hanyou, giving him a death glare. She had been having a terribly stressful day, and though it was unfair to unload her pent up anger on Inuyasha, she couldn't control herself. She'd make it up to him later, with some ramen. Besides, this situation had occurred one to many times. She needed to make it clear to Inuyasha that this was unacceptable!

"You never, **EVER,** peek on a girl when she is taking a bath! That is so… so… "

"Utterly disgusting." Finished a fully clothed Sango, as she walked over, Kirara at her side.

"Arigato." she said to Sango. "You know, I have come to expect this of Miroku, but not of you!"

"Bitch." Inuyasha scowled under his breath.

"EXCUSE ME?" Kagome shouted, infuriated. And she had just been about to apologize to him too! "You know I was going to ask you to come SIT with me…" With that word Inuyasha was pulled deeper into the ground.

"Oops! Sorry bout that!" She said waving him off, as she turned to Sango and laughed.

_What the hell is her problem? _He wondered. _It's not like I was spying on them. _

"Wow, Kagome I think we have a new record in depth." Sango joked.

"Yup, looks like my deepest yet!" She said, laughing.

Inuyasha ignored the comments and pulled himself out of the hole. He brushed the dirt off his robe.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called from the tree he was leaning against, "I see you have learned well. Keep up the good work!"

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID MONK!" he roared. "I don't know what you're talking about." Turning back to Kagome he said "Stupid girl, I wasn't spying on you. I'm not a pervert like him!" Kagome and Sango giggled at the hanyou's enraged state.

Brushing the last of the dirt out of his hair and off his haori he stated, "I smelt your blood and I thought something was wrong."

_Oh no! _Thought Kagome. While jumping into the pool, she had accidentally got her foot caught in a rock.

"Oops." squeaked Kagome. "That was mine," she blushed. "I got my foot caught in a rock. I didn't really think of your sense of smell picking up the blood. I'm sorry Inuyasha."

"No problem, baka." said Inuyasha sarcastically, his hand running over his badly bruised head.

But it wasn't only his head that hurt, he was sore all over. He had been injured in the final battle with Naraku. It had been a hard fight.

Inuyasha resumed his position against a nearby tree, Tetsusaiga resting loosely in his lap.

With Hakudoushi dead, things had seemed a lot easier. Kagura had told them someone Naraku feared greatly had discovered where his human heart was. And that this person was strong enough to break through the barrier.

So he merged back with his human heart to avoid being killed. He then set his sights on destroying this person. Kagura also said that he was quite stupid for merging with the baby because then he would gain the feelings that his human heart held and would be a great deal easier to kill... Even if he had had the fuyoheki that blocked his youki from being sensed.

"All someone has to do is flash the jewel around and Naraku will come running." She had told them. Naraku desperately wanted the jewel to become full demon without having to separate from his human heart and be constantly worrying about it's whereabouts. One wish from the jewel, and he could be permanently and cleanly rid of his human heart.

And that's what Kikyo had been planning to do all along.

Kohaku had willingly given Kikyo his shard in the hopes that he could be forgiven for all the atrocities he had committed while under Naraku's reign. Kikyo had then gone after Kouga and threatened to purify him if he didn't hand his shards over. So he gave them to her, wanting never to cross paths with the priestess again .

And so the jewel was complete.

By the time they had found Naraku, he was already in possession of the jewel. They learned Kikyo had given in to him, so it would become completely defiled by his touch. Then both Kikyo and Kagome sent their arrows of purification covered with the grave soil towards him. They had purified his spirit and the jewel.

Then his spirit had erupted, nearly killing Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and everyone else in the area. The last thing Kagome had remembered before she blacked out was Kikyo's figure walking towards her.

When she had awoken, she was in Lady Kaede's village, the completed Shikon no Tama around her neck. Sango had come out of the fight with a couple broken ribs and Miroku's arm had been broken, but the wind tunnel was gone. Even Shippo had broken a bone in his leg. The poor little kitsune.

Surprisingly, she had only sprained her wrist and acquired a few bruises and cuts.

For the first day, everyone had celebrated. Finally, the world could be at peace for a little longer. Kagome had joined in with the celebrations, but something was nagging at her. Due to the way they had defeated Naraku, she would have thought the jewel would have been destroyed… but there it was around her neck. She held it firmly with her hand, as if confirming it's presence. It troubled her greatly, but for the moment there was no more she could do.

As far as they knew right now, Kagura, Hakudoushi, and Kanna were all dead. They assumed the other incarnations were dead as well because they were connected to Naraku's heart, and his heart had been destroyed.

With sudden quickness, Inuyasha stood up, Tetsusaiga falling from his lap, going unnoticed by him and the others. His head whipped around, sensing a familiar scent. His eyes scanned the area quickly, even though he knew he would not see her.

"Inuyasha." He heard his voice carried on the breeze. His ears twitched at the noise. It was so quiet, he'd almost missed it, but he recognized it all the same. It was her.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "What are you looking for?"

"Nothing..." he snapped at her. He sniffed the air, trying to find the direction it was coming from. The wind picked up around him and began to push him towards the west, by the sacred tree, his tree.

"Kikyo." he whispered longingly.

"Did you say something?" asked Sango, reaching for her boomerang.

"No nothing." he replied. "Look… I'll be back soon. "He threw caution to the wind, and jumped into the air, above the trees. He landed a little ways away, and took off running towards the tree.

_Not again… _Kagome thought, her heart sinking..

"Inuyasha, where are you going?" She yelled, knowing it would do no good. He ignored her and kept running. "Kikyo…" She assured herself, feeling the undead miko's presence from the direction in which Inuyasha had run.

_That's it! I've had enough. I don't care anymore. I'm going, right now. I'll tell him how I feel and if he still wants to be with her… That's fine. _She dropped her bag and towel and ran as fast as she could after him.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango called after her. She tried to run, but Miroku grabbed her shoulder.

"Sango, what was that all about?" Miroku asked questioningly.

"I have no idea." she replied. "One minute Inuyasha was kissing dirt, the next he was gone."

"Do you think we should go after them?" he asked.

"Yes, I think this has something to do with Kikyo. Before Kagome took off after him, she whispered Kikyo's name. She must have sensed her."

"I see," he looked down sadly, shaking his head. "That woman is never good news."

He grabbed his staff and walked over to where Shippo was sleeping. He bent down and gently shook the kitsune. "Shippo?" He asked.

"Uhn…" He said stretching his small arms and rubbing at his sleep covered eyes. "Miroku? What is it?"

"Go back to Kaede-sama and stay with her until we return." Miroku commanded.

"Why? Where's Inuyasha?" He said looking around. His eyes became worried. "And Kagome?"

"Don't worry about them, just go."

"But the village is a long walk from here! And my leg hurts!" He whined.

"Fine, take Kirara." Sango said.

"Ok," Shippo said, pulling himself onto the transformed Kirara's back. Sango and Miroku watched as Kirara ran into the forest, toward the village. As soon as Kirara and Shippo were out of sight, Sango made a startling discovery.

"Oh… Houshi-sama… Look." Sango pointed to the tree where Inuyasha had been sitting. There lay his renowned fang sword, Tetsusaiga. Miroku shook his head worriedly and quickly picked the sword up.

"How could he forget his sword!" Sango exclaimed. "He knows how dangerous he is without it!"

Miroku fingered the sheathed blade and whispered, "This must be really important… He must have sensed Kikyo wants something big this time. To forget his sword…"

Sango grabbed Miroku's arm and began running.

"We'd better catch up with Kagome and give Inuyasha back his sword…"

Miroku nodded and they began to sprint in the direction Inuyasha and Kagome had just gone minutes ago.

**--Inuyasha's Forest--**

Kagome hid behind a tree trying to stay silent; although her heart was beating so loud she was surprised they couldn't hear it. She stared and watched the scene unfold in the clearing. There was Kikyo in Inuyasha's arm, right beneath the sacred Goshinboku. _Déjà vu_, she thought. _Where have I seen this before? _

She wanted to put a stop to it, to just tell Inuyasha her feelings and go, but she couldn't. She stood frozen to the spot.

She looked on, watching, as Kikyo said something. Kagome couldn't hear a thing as she was too far away and didn't have Inuyasha's sense of hearing. She stood helplessly watching the two.

_I really shouldn't be here... This is…none of my business. _She thought bitterly.

Kikyo laid her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha embraced the un-dead miko tightly.

She peeked around the tree to see Kikyo reach up and kiss him. Kagome turned back and leaned against the tree. Tears clouded her vision as she began to run back to the camp.

_Forget it, _she thought. _I guess.. My feelings are not that important anyways…_

_It's just… I thought… Why would he…? Why couldn't he have told me?_

She sprinted past Miroku and Sango, holding her face in her hands. She couldn't let them see her tears. She ignored they're inquisitive calls and stares and kept running. She heard them follow after her.

But it didn't matter.

Soon she was back to where the group had been minutes ago. She grabbed her bag and looked ahead.

The only thing that mattered was leaving this place.

**--Kaede's Village--**

"Kagome! What's wrong?" Cried Shippo, jumping onto her shoulder, minding not to hurt his leg.

She wiped at her eyes and brushed the hair away from her face. She tried to regain her composure as she stared lovingly into the worried face of the kitsune.

"N-Nothing!" She managed to say. "I'm fine!" Things should remain normal. Normal is good. That was how she had been taught and it was the only way she knew. As long as things seemed normal, they didn't necessarily have to be, everything would be good.

"Ah, Kagome. Nice to see you." Kaede greeted.

Kagome nodded in response and walked to the corner of the hut. Shippo hopped back over to his seat beside Kaede and continued colouring with crayons Kagome had given him, satisfied with her answer.

_I just thought after all of it was over… Maybe he would change his mind… After all I've sacrificed to come here… To be with him! _Her body shook in silent sobs. _I know he still loves her… but…_

Sango burst into the hut, out of breath. She had separated with Miroku. He had gone to give the sword to Inuyasha and she had followed after Kagome.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango gasped. "What happened?"

"Are you alright?" Sango walked over to her and knelt down. She placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Kagome looked up at her friend, her eyes red and puffy.

"W-What are y-you talking about?" She hiccupped and looked away.

Sango started to talk again but Kagome stood up abruptly, her backpack on her shoulder.. She walked to the door of the hut.

"I think I'll go for a walk." She said, pushing through the curtain.

She hurriedly set off on path One she was sure would take her far away from the sacred tree.

She was sick of worrying. She didn't want all this weight on her shoulders. She couldn't bear to be around Inuyasha any longer if he was in love with Kikyo… It just didn't feel right.

She had pledged to stay by his side for… Well forever. But if it meant hurting this much, she just couldn't. It was as if her heart was being torn in two.

The jewel was completed and Naraku was dead, so she was no longer needed here anymore. She had only ever been a jewel detector… Nothing more. She shouldn't have allowed herself to believe otherwise.

She was swamped by her thoughts and didn't notice her feet carrying her to a stream. She sat down and stared blankly into it, gazing into her distraught reflection, lost within her thoughts. She didn't even notice someone coming up behind her.

Sango gently touched her shoulder, making the girl jump in fright.

"Oh Sango-chan! You scared me." Kagome uselessly tried to pretend everything was alright. She brushed stray hair behind her ear, staring absently at the ground.

"Kagome-chan… Please… tell me. What happened?" Sango pleaded. "I want to help you…"

And suddenly, something seemed to snap within Kagome. She could no longer remain happy. Her true emotions came bursting out from within her. All the anger and sorrow she had kept deep inside was now released. Normality was no longer an issue.

"Sango-chan…" She sobbed. "I saw them together, again!" She bawled, her friend holding her close, doing her best to comfort her.

"Kagome… I'm sure there's an expla-"

"Has there ever been?" Kagome demanded. She angrily brushed away her tears and knelt down beside the stream. She cupped water in her hands and brought it up to her face. The cool water felt refreshing. She wiped her eyes and stood up.

"I'm so sorry…" Sango whispered sympathetically, holding her friend's hand.

"Gomen… I didn't mean to snap at you." Sango nodded understandingly. Kagome sniffled and said, "After all we've been through… It's really over. All of it."

A stifling silence hung in the air. Sango didn't know how to respond. She opened her mouth to speak when a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Kagome!"

The girls whipped around to see…

"KOUGA-KUN?" Kagome yelled in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The wolf demon strode over to Kagome and put his arm around her.

"Well, with Naraku gone, I came searching for you. Once I get mutt-face out of my way, you can be my mate!" He stated, grinning.

Kagome inched away from him.

"Kouga-kun, I don't think this is the time…" Sango began, but Kagome decided now was the time to tell him what she had wanted to tell him for a while..

Kagome grabbed Kouga's hands and held them at chest level. She looked into his eyes.

"Kouga-kun," She began sweetly "Let me tell you something…"

She reached her hand up to his cheek and in one swift movement she slapped him.

The sound echoed throughout the forest.

"I don't like you. I never will. God, just get over me." She just seemed to snap. She pushed him away and grabbed her bag.

"It's that idiot mutt isn't it?" Kouga shook his head in disgust, and grabbed her arm. "I told you, I'll kill him and then we can be together." He seemed not to notice anything that had just happened.

"No! That's not it! It's got nothing to do with Inuyasha…Jeez! Look, go marry Ayame… Please, just don't come back!" She turned away from Kouga and stared into the water. She didn't need this. Today… or ever.

But the wolf demon was persistent. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around. He held onto her shoulders.

Sango could see that Kagome was ready to explode. The taijiya grabbed Kouga's arm.

But then something quite unexpected happened.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER, YOU FILTHY WOLF!"

Inuyasha came bounding towards them. But he didn't have Tetsusaiga.

_What happened to Miroku! _Sango thought fearfully.

But, before he even reached them, Kagome could tell something was wrong. She could sense he wasn't quite himself. Whatever had happened with Kikyo must have really upset him.

Inuyasha shoved Kouga away from Kagome. He flew back a couple feet. Kouga fought the pain and stood up. He hurried back over to protect Kagome but was shoved away again, this time flying into a tree, knocking him unconscious.

Kagome screamed in horror and backed away.

_Red…_

His eyes were _**red**._

The colour of blood.

He grabbed Kagome by the arms, his claws digging into her skin, drawing blood.

Paralysed by fear, she was unable to move. She screamed and writhed in pain. Sango ran to her friend's aid and grabbed Inuyasha, trying to pull him off of her. He knocked her to the ground, where she lay in pain, semiconscious.

Kagome's eyes widened and she screamed for him to let go and to fight it.

But he couldn't.

"What do you think you're doing!" He growled. Kagome whimpered, her entire body shaking with fear.

"You're mine!" Inuyasha was acting _very _possessive. "You're _mine!" _He shook her harder.

"Fight it…" She cried, tears streaming down her face. She bit her lower lip, trying not to scream. The pain was becoming almost unbearable.

"K-Kagome…say the word…" Sango gasped.

Kagome tried to speak, but her throat was so dry. She tried to swallow and managed to moisten her throat enough.

"OSUWARI!" She screamed.

Inuyasha slammed into the ground, almost instantly reverting back to a hanyou. He gazed up at her with glossed over eyes and then he went unconscious.

Kagome stood, her body shaking violently. Her breaths were shallow. She made Inuyasha was no longer conscious and ran to Sango.

She knelt down beside her friend.

"Sango-chan!" She cried. "Are you alright?"

The taijiya managed to sit up. She nodded as Miroku came running towards then, Tetsusaiga in his hands.

"Sango! Kagome-sama!" He yelled.

Kagome looked up at him a breathed a sigh of relief. The houshi knelt down beside them.

"When I found him he was already full youkai." Miroku explained. "I tried to give it to him, but he attacked me. I was knocked unconscious."

Kagome gasped and covered her mouth. She felt a sharp pain in her arm, but ignored it. Her eyes began to water.

"I cant believe this…" She held her face in her hands, her body shaking with each sob.

"Kagome-chan… It's ok… We're alright." Sango reached over and lightly touched her on the shoulder.

Kagome shook her head, tears splattering on the ground.

"I've got to leave… I'm going home…" She pulled her backpack on and stood up. "Please take care of Shippo and tell Inuyasha… Just tell him I'm sorry…" And with that she whipped around and began sprinting to the well.

She blinked away tears as she looked into the well. She was about to jump in when she felt something touch her shoulder. She shrieked in fright and spun around.

But there was nothing thee.

Scared and shaking she jumped into the blackness of the well.

_It's really over…_

**--End Flashback--**

She looked down at her cupped hands and stared into the alluring beauty of the completed Shikon no Tama.

Naraku had been destroyed and the jewel completed. This should be one of the happiest times of her life. It was what she had worked towards for the past three years. So why was she sad?

She knew that she could never return to the feudal era again. She knew that she couldn't face Inuyasha again. Not after all that had happened.

And it was all because of this _cursed_ jewel. She had lost everything because of it. Her old life, her friends here and her normality. And now her new life, in the feudal era, and her friends there. Most of all she had lost her one true love.

Why did she have to protect this stupid thing anyway?

It wasn't fair. She shouldn't have to give up her entire life to protect a stupid glass ball.

A single tear fell down her cheek, landing on the jewel. It sparkled and shot a rainbow of colours across the room. She closed her hands over it, stopping the light show.

Fate could be so cruel sometimes.

"Kagome?" her mother asked, opening the door a crack.

Kagome quickly rubbed her eyes and replied, "Hai, mama?"

"I was thinking, maybe you would like to go away, you know for a holiday. It's been so stressful for you lately."

"Yes..."

"Well, with the holidays coming up, there would be no school. So maybe you'd like to stay at our cabin? You know the one we used to go to?" Mrs Higurashi asked.

Kagome looked down at her hands. It had been a while since she'd been up there. The nature and quietness might do her some good.

"Yeah… I think it would be a good idea." _Plus I would be able to relax and not have to think about him_. She strained a smile.

"Well, I was thinking maybe you could leave on Friday night, after school. You could take the train along the countryside. It would take you right close to the cabin. I've already arranged all the details."

"Hai.. I'll start packing now so I can leave right after school tomorrow." _The sooner the better, _she thought.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. But don't stay up to late, you have school tomorrow. That is, if you're up to it?"

"I am." she said.

Her mother gave her a worried look and left the room.

Kagome stood up and placed the jewel around her neck. "What am I going to do?" she asked herself. There was no use worrying about it now. She would have plenty of time to do that when she got back from her trip.

She grabbed a suit case and began packing.

-------

An hour later she had finished and collapsed on her bed, exhausted. She sat up and looked out her window. In the fading daylight, she could see the outline of Souta and Hitomi. Cute little girl, she was. She remembered when they had helped Souta tell Hitomi his feelings. That had been a funny day. Now the two had begun a relationship. They were barely ever apart.

_Sort of like me and Inuyasha, _she thought. _But those days are over now…_

She looked back down and saw her mother come out and tell them that Hitomi had to go home. Hitomi gave him a hug and walked off.

Those two were so care free. She craved to be young and untroubled again. She wished that she didn't have to go through the pain of love. She laid back down on her bed.

The past three years had killed her. She was eight-teen now, a woman. She stretched her arms out, thinking about those years. She felt bad. There had been so many lies. Not only to her friends here, but to her friends in the other era too.

She ran her hand over the cuts on her arms, the ones Inuyasha had caused. The doctor had said it was deep and would leave a scar. They hurt really bad.

But it wasn't so much the physical pain that made it so bad. It was more the memories that they held. They would constantly remind her of the bad times.

She shook her head and closed her eyes, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Japanese words I've used**

**Abunai - **Watch out! Danger!  
**Arigato - **Thank You  
**Arigato Gozaimasu **- Thank You (more respectful than arigato)  
B**aka **- Idiot/ Stupid  
**Bakuryuuha -**Backlash wave  
**-chan: **literally means "little" or "cute"; a diminutive name suffix used to address children, female relatives and (close) friends. Also a common endearment. Adding this to a relative's appellation (such as obaa-chan, "grandma") gives the appellation a familiar tone.**Chotto Matte - **Wait a minute…!  
**Fuujin no Mai **- Dance of the Wind Blades (One of Kagura's attacks. It sends a volley of razor sharp wind blades at an opponent)**Gomen - **Sorry (Used for close friends, not respectful)  
**Gomen nasai - **Sorry (more respectful than gomen)  
**Hai - **Yes  
**Hanyou - **half-demon  
**Hentai - **Pervert  
**Houshi **- Monk/ Priest  
**Fuyouheki -** introduced in Chapter 337 It's created from a stone, which is called "mamori ishi" that was once possessed by the mountain youkai, Gakusanjin. It has the power to hide the youki of whoever holds it.  
**Iie - **No  
**Inu - **Dog (Inu-Youkai Dog demon)  
**Inukorro - **Dog-turd (Kouga's name for Inuyasha)  
**Inu no nii chan - **Literally this is translated as dog brother. It's Souta's name for Inuyasha. I think he means something along the lines of older brother Inuyasha.  
**Ja Ne - **See You Later  
**Jii-chan - **a familiar term for "grandfather" or "old man"; something like "gramps"  
**Jyaki - **This is the magical energy around a youkai, a demonic aura.  
**Kawaii - **Cute/ Pretty  
**Kaze no Kizu - **Wind Scar (Literally 'Wound of the Wind')  
**Kekkai - **Magical Barrier  
**Konbanwa - **Good Evening  
**Kongousouha **- Diamond Spear Blast (I believe this is Tetsusaiga's strongest move.)  
**Konnichiwa - **Good Afternoon; Hello  
**-kun**: a name suffix used to address people of equal/lower social standing and/or age; more casual than -san, this is applied almost excessively to males. Can also be diminutive, like a male version of -chan.  
**Ocha - **Japanese tea  
**Ohayo - **Good Morning  
**Obaa-chan - **Grandmother (A polite and respectful way to address a close 'elder' female acquaintance)  
**Obabaa - **a colloquial, rude way of referring to old women; has the connotation of "old hag"  
**Okaa-san **- Mother  
**Osuwari **- Sit (In Reference to dogs)  
**Otou-san **-Father  
**Otouto - **Little Brother  
**Matte - **Wait  
**Miko - **Priestess / Shrine Maiden  
**Moshi Moshi - **Hello (On the telephone)  
**Nani - **What  
**Nee-chan - **Older sister (There are more polite ways of saying older sister ((i.e. nee-sama)), although this is what I hear Souta say in the anime)  
**Neko - **Cat  
**Ryuuja no Mai - **Dance of the Dragon Snakes (Another of Kagura's attacks. Creates tornadoes of varying sizes which can be used to trap foes)  
**Saimyoushou: **It's the name given to the poisonous bee/wasp-like insects that Naraku's uses. They also have poison that render Miroku's kazaana useless.  
-**sama: **a very respectful, even reverent name suffix; may be translated as sir, lady, lord etc.  
**-san: **a name suffix indicating respect; translates to Mr., Miss or Mrs. Using a plain name is a quite casual way of addressing a person, and unless you know them well it is considered somewhat rude.  
**Sayonara - **Goodbye  
**Sengoku Jidai - **Feudal Japan (Jidai translates as era or time period. Sengoku is the name given to a certain time period in Japan's history. Just to make it less confusing, for the sake of you wonderful people D (my readers) I'll just call it Feudal Japan.)  
S**hikabane Mai - **Corpse Dance (One of Kagura's attacks. She uses it to control the dead or people who have had their soul stolen)**  
Sumimasen - **Excuse me; Sorry  
**Taijiya - **Exterminator, hunter  
**Yaze Ookami - **Wimpy Wolf (Inuyasha's retort to Kouga's inukorro)  
**Youkai - **Demon  
**Youki - **Refers to the energy and power of _youkai. _Magical creatures manipulate and use this power all the time.

* * *

Well, I do hope you enjoyed that. I had fun writing it. I really thought introducing Kouga added a little fun to it. Didn't change too much in this chapter. Oh, I did get rid of Kouga mentioning the Goraishi, because I remembered it was mentioned in Manga 38... Sorry about that.

Anyways,

Reviews are always enjoyed, but are not mandatory.  
I would appreciate if you see any spelling or grammar errors, to please tell me so I can fix it and make my story the best it can be! Same goes for plot glitches. Constructive critcism is always helpful, as long as you are kind .

Oh, and any flames will be read, laughed at, forwarded to all my friends so they can laugh at them, and then disposed of.

Please note, this is the only list of Japanese words that will be posted along with my story. It's too much of a hassle to post it with every chapter, as its gotten rather large... Sorry if this is an inconvience to anyone.

Also, I will go by the name "Kellai-chan" from now on. It's a nic name my friends gave me in grade 8. ThoughI will not be changing my username, I will use it everywhere else.

See you on the next chapter.

**-Kellai-chan-**


	2. Chapter 2 Misunderstanding

Ok. So here we are... Didnt change much in this chapter either.  
Still hating the chapter title, suggestions are welcome.**  
**  
Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 2 - Misunderstanding

**--Feudal Japan--**

At the same time Inuyasha sat in a hut in Lady Kaede's village, wondering what had happened.

_Where is Kagome? _Inuyasha wondered. He couldn't remember a thing. The last thing he remembered was being with Kikyo…

_"Inuyasha…" Kikyo held the hanyou's hands. "I've made my decision."_

_"What do you mean!" Inuyasha asked, his heart beginning to beat faster._

_"I am no longer needed In this world. Now that Naraku has been destroyed I am free."_

_Inuyasha looked down at her and said, "So? Am I not a reason for you to stay here?" _

_Kikyo smiled slightly and shook her head. _

_"Inuyasha… I still love you. I always will… But we were never destined to be together. I just want you to be happy." _

_"But I need you…"_

_"No… You don't need me. You will be fine." She put her arms around him and hugged him. "And you owe me nothing,"_

_Kikyo had read his mind._

_"Kikyo, you died for me! I can't live knowing that! I wont let you leave me a second time!" _

_"Inuyasha…" The miko began, her head resting on his chest, "You owe me nothing. Death is but another chapter in one's life. Do not feel remorse in what happened. We were only pawns in Naraku's scheme. If I have one last request, it is that you do not feel despair over my death all those years ago. I beg you to live on…"_

_"Kikyo please!" He cried, holding onto her tighter. "Don't leave me!"_

_"I must. I've realized my mistakes and I can live no longer on the souls of others. Naraku is dead and so my is destiny fulfilled. It is time for me to leave." _

_She looked deeply into his eyes and kissed him gently on the lips. _

_"Just be happy. Do not feel guilty for what happened fifty years ago. It was not your fault and I do not blame you in not wanting to join me in the after-world just yet. You have friends here. Many." She reached up and gently caressed his cheek. _

_"You have changed. You've become softer. I can see it in your eyes. Kagome has done something I was never able nor will ever be able to do. She has taught you how to trust. And to love. I bid you farewell. Remember, I'll always love you." _

_And with that she slipped from his arms and turned away. She wandered off into the woods. But before she was out of sight, she turned to look at him and smiled. She whispered, "Live on…"_

_Then she disappeared._

_He ran after her, but found nothing and no one. _

_"Why did you have to do this, Kikyo!" He exclaimed. He pounded a nearby tree with his fist. In a much softer tone he whispered, "This isn't what I wanted."_

_But then, a very rare thing happened. His conscience_ _got the better of him._

This is what you wanted, isn't it? _It demanded of him. _You just wanted Kikyo to rest in peace.

_"She gave her life for me! How can I live knowing that!" He cried._

She said it herself. Don't feel guilty over what happened! It was Naraku's fault… Now that he's dead she can rest in peace knowing you'll be safe… And happy.

_Inuyasha stared at the ground, feeling a stabbing pain in his heart._

_Is this how Kagome felt whenever I went to Kikyo? He asked himself. _

Yes. _His conscience answered. _

_Inuyasha was overwhelmed with feelings of remorse and sadness for all the things that had happened. He was no longer in a stable state of mind._

_And he got a sudden urge._

_An urge…_

_To kill. _

_But he realized what was happening to late. He was turning full youkai. He had allowed his emotions to get the better of him and they had caused him to turn into this… This monster. He tried to force himself to grab Tetsusaiga, but when he gained enough strength to reach for it… _

_It wasn't there. _

_It was at this point his sensible self had blacked out._

After that he had woken up in the middle of a forest with Tetsusaiga by his side. He had questioned Miroku and Sango about what had happened but both refused to talk. And to add to all the mystery, Kagome was gone.

What had he done while he was full demon?

He sighed and whispered, "Where are you Kagome?"

He knew something was really wrong this time. Maybe she had seen him with Kikyo.

"Oh no…" He shook his head and cursed his stupidity. _I should have thought of that! _Kagome must have saw them together again and misunderstood.

After all, he had told Kagome that he had chosen Kikyo. But even Kikyo had told him it was never meant to be. He had to respect Kikyo's wish. So his mind was made up.

He wanted to be with Kagome.

Both Sango and Miroku had seemed wary around him after the afternoon. Both had kept their distances and avoided making eye contact.

**_What had he done?_**

Miroku, who had been feigning sleep, casually sat up, pretending he had just woken up... Even though it was still night.

He realized that he had to tell Inuyasha what had happened. The hanyou was going crazy not knowing what had happened.

And as long as Inuyasha had Tetsusaiga, everyone was safe.

"Inuyasha." He said,. "Do you really want to know? What happened, I mean."

Inuyasha looked over at Miroku with one eye, glaring. "Of course, you idiot. I've been asking all night, haven't I?"

"You went full demon again." he replied, ignoring Inuyasha's insult.

"I know…"

"Oh?" Miroku asked. _But I thought he didn't remember…_

"It was right after Kikyo left…" He mumbled. Then he noticed Miroku's disapproving stare. "Stupid letch. It wasn't anything like that…Not that _you_ could scold me even if something did happen."

"So something did happen? Oh dear, dear. Kagome-sama is going to be quite angry…" He teased and then he added under his breath, "Honestly, if you would just tell her how you really felt it would do us all a great favour."

"Shut up! Nothing happened, idiot!" He said, ignoring the monk's second comment.

"Well than… what _did _you do?" Miroku began to grin, despite the seriousness of the matter.

"That isn't any of your business! Just tell me what happened and where Kagome is." Inuyasha demanded.

"Well I certainly wont tell you if you don't tell me." Miroku smiled, evilly.

Inuyasha sighed and relented.

"If you really want to know… Kikyo was… She was saying goodbye." Inuyasha looked away, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have asked…" Miroku's grin faded away to be replaced by a look of great sympathy.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Sango said, sitting up. She, too had been faking sleep the entire time.

Inuyasha looked over at her, a bit surprised to see her talking to him. She had been avoiding him all day and giving him looks of disgust.

"It's what Kikyo wanted… She thought it was best." He retold most of what happened, withdrawing certain details.

"Inuyasha… I'm so sorry." Sango apologized. She felt extremely bad for treating Inuyasha as she had during the day. If only she had known… maybe some of this could have been avoided.

An awkward silence hung in the air. The quiet and rhythmic breathing of Shippo and Kirara was all that could be heard.

"W-Where _is_ Kagome?" Inuyasha finally asked.

Sango and Miroku exchanged worried glances.

"She… She went home." Sango stated.

"Why? She should have told me…" Inuyasha looked questioningly at the taijiya. Then something seemed to click in Inuyasha's brain. "D-Did something happen while I was demon…?"

Sango swallowed and looked sympathetically at Inuyasha.

And in one short sentence she explained it all.

"You attacked Kagome…"

She hurriedly explained the rest of the details.

Inuyasha's world began to move in slow motion.

"No… No… I couldn't have… I wouldn't…" He stood, his arms crossed. His face was distraught with worry. _No! NO! How could this have happened? _

"Inuyasha… Kagome's ok…" _I think, _Sango added to herself.

"Miroku… Sango, I'm sorry about whatever I did. But I have to go find her." He hurried to the door. Under his breath, barely audible, he mumbled, "I promised her I would never transform again… I love her… " He rushed out of the hut, Sango anxiously calling after him.

But just like Kagome, he too, was gone.

**--Present Japan--**

The bell rang as Kagome stepped into the classroom. She quickly took her seat and opened her books. Everything seemed surreal. She was actually back at school. She was ready to sit down and get some studying done. She still had entrance exams to worry about. And with nothing to interfere with her studies she was…

_I wonder if Inuyasha is ok… _

Shocked with herself, she shook her head to rid herself of the thought. Her life in the feudal era was over! **Over! **Inuyasha had kindly ended their… well… relationship… himself. She should not be feeling sympathy for him.

And it wasn't as if they ever _had _a relationship anyway!

As much as she willed herself to thing about something else, _anything _else, her thoughts always drifted back to him…

_This is what I wanted! _She told herself, sternly.  
"Ohayo Kagome-chan!" Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi said in unison, pulling her back into the real world

"Ohayo." Kagome said, a touch of sadness in her voice. She immediately tried to cover it up by smiling at her friends.

But Yuka had noticed the tone of Kagome's voice and, with a slight grin, asked, "Kagome-chan, is there something wrong? Is it your two-timing, no good, violent, selfish boyfriend again?"

"Well yeah, I guess you could say that." Kagome replied, smiling sadly.

The teacher walked into the classroom, preventing her friends from asking anymore questions. The class immediately went silent.

"Higurashi," he said. "Nice of you to join us finally." A few people around the room snickered receiving a glare from the teacher.

"Hai, sensei." She replied.

Turning back to face the class, the teacher began his lesson.

"As you may remember, last class I informed you that we would be studying Japanese legends and fairy tales. For today's lesson, we will be discussing the legend of Shikon no Tama."

Kagome looked up in surprise. She gasped. It had been so long since she had been to school. She'd forgotten first period was history. How could she have been so stupid?

Her hand shot to her chest and she fiddled with the necklace, making sure it was properly hidden. Not that anyone would believe her if she said she was the protector of the sacred jewel.

"Excuse me, Higurashi, is there a problem?" He asked, noticing her nervous and anxious demeanour.

"May I be excused for a moment, sensei?"

"Eh…? Iie… Class just started a few minutes ago. You had plenty of time before." He stared, daring her to challenge his authority.

"Gomen nasai… I really have to go…" She bit her lip, inside she was screaming. _What am I doing? Disobeying a teacher will be just great on my evaluation card! _

Despite her worries, she grabbed her bag and tore from the room. She couldn't handle this yet. It was too early. She wasn't ready to hear the history of the cursed jewel that had destroyed her life. Not that she didn't know it already. She had created part of that history.

She ran to the closest washroom and dashed to the sink, dropping her bag beside her. She turned the knobs and water came pouring out. She cupped it in her hands and gently splashed it on her face.

Looking up into the mirror, she shrieked in fright.

She was staring into the blood red eyes of Inuyasha's youkai form.

"Why?" She cried, collapsing to the ground. Tears streamed down her face. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Why did that memory have to haunt her the way it did? Wasn't it enough with the pain she had already suffered!

"Kagome-chan, who are you talking to?" asked Yuka as she walked into the bathroom.

Kagome looked from the mirror, which was now clear, to Yuka and back again. She held her face in her hands, her body shaking from nerves.

Yuka rushed over to her. She had never seen Kagome like this. Even on those rare occasions where something would go wrong, Kagome had always stayed positive and smiled.

Yuka knelt down and hugged her friend. She pulled Kagome up and looked her in the eye. "What's wrong, Kagome-chan?"

Through the tears, Kagome managed to say, "N-Nothing."

"Kagome-chan..." Yuka pressed on.

"I don't really want to talk about it." she mumbled.

"Kagome-chan, don't play those games. I'm your best friend. I know that something really important is bothering you. Please, let me help."

"Uh.. Ok." Kagome sighed, looking at her friend. "Come I'll go grab my stuff from the classroom. I think I need to go home… now."

"Sure.. I'll walk you home. I'll skip class."

Kagome straightened her uniform and brushed the tears from her eyes. She smiled appreciatively. Yuka was such a good friend.

Yuka held her hand comfortingly and they walked back to class. Kagome looked at her friend as they walked into the classroom.

Kagome and Yuka walked up to the teacher's desk.

"Sensei?" Kagome asked, trembling from her breakdown.  
"Yes, what is it?" He replied.

"Um.. May Yuka-chan and I be excused?"  
"Excused for what?"  
Yuka glanced at Kagome, giving her a worried look.

"Private family matters, sir." Kagome lied.

"Well after you've already disrupted the class twice, I see no point in you staying. You wont be able to learn anything." He sighed and shooed them out.

Yuka rushed to her seat and grabbed her bag. Eri and Ayumi gave them inquiring looks, but the two girls darted to the door and were out of school.

"So spill Kagome-chan, _what _is wrong?" Yuka asked.

_What am I supposed to say? _Kagome wondered. _What harm could it do if I told Yuka…I can depend on her to keep a secret. Besides, I need to get this off my chest._

"Well… I guess it all really started in the well house." Kagome began, with newfound confidence. _This is what I need to do! _She told herself.

"In the well house? But what could a well have to do with you being sad?"

"Yes, let me explain."  
"Gomen." Yuka apologized.

"It's ok. Well you know 3 years ago.. On my fifteen birthday?"

"Yeah.. The day you were sick.. And we had that surprise party ready and everything. And then you didn't come!" Yuka whined.

Kagome giggled

"I did have a valid reason you know! The reason I didn't come…Well that morning I saw Souta standing outside the well house…"

Kagome began to explain about how she fell down the well and was transported to the past. She told her friend about the Shikon no Tama and Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, and Sango. When she had finished Yuka was speechless, for once.

"But why was Inu… Inuyasha…Why was he trying to kill you?"  
"Well… When I was attacked by the centipede demon, a jewel came out from a cut in my side. It was the Shikon no Tama. It can grant wishes and make demons stronger. So, naturally he wanted it, as he's a half demon."  
"Oh yeah, I remember the Shikon no Tama. That's what we were going to study in history today!" Yuka thought for a moment and then asked, "Is that the reason that why you left so suddenly?"

Kagome nodded, her cheeks flushing a light rose colour as she remembered her actions.

"Well, anyway, its all true." She continued. "All those times my jii-chan came up freak sicknesses, I was really going to feudal Japan to collect shards." Kagome then grabbed the string around her neck and pulled it out from under her shirt.

Yuka gasped and Kagome giggled .

"Is.. Is that the real Shikon no Tama?"  
"Yep." Kagome said looking down blissfully at the jewel that had caused so much suffering. "And I am supposed to protect this thing and purify it." She tucked it safely under her blouse.  
"So what are you going to do with the jewel, now that it's completed?" Yuka asked.

By this time they had arrived at Kagome's house. Kagome asked Yuka if she wanted to come in, seeing as school was still on. Yuka accepted and they walked in, past Kagome's grandfather, who was muttering something about demons trying to murder him in his sleep. Kagome's mother was out and Souta was at school. When they got to Kagome's room, Kagome shut the door and they sat down on the bed.

She felt much better, now that she had someone who believed her. Someone she could talk to, other than her family.

"You never answered my question though… what are you going to do with the jewel?"  
"I… Don't know… " Kagome said.

She had not yet told Yuka about how she really felt about Inuyasha. Feeling as though she owed her friend the whole truth she said, "Yuka there's something I have to tell you... There's another part to my story. I am actually the reincarnation of a miko named Kikyo."

"You're a what! You're a reincarnate of a miko. But that must mean that you have priestess powers too, right?"

"Exactly… that's why I am the protector of the jewel.

"When Kikyo died, she was burned with the jewel. And the jewel somehow ended up inside of me. But there's a catch. Kikyo was Inuyasha's lover. But somehow, the man we defeated, Naraku," Kagome shuddered at the thought of him.

"Well he mislead Inuyasha into stealing the jewel and killing Kikyo, and Kikyo, before she died, shot Inuyasha with an arrow, sealing him to the tree for fifty years. Then when I came and unsealed Inuyasha, an old witch brought Kikyo back to life, by stealing a part of my soul. Inuyasha was always running to her." Kagome almost started crying again at the thought.

"Kagome-chan? Does this Inuyasha person have any connection at all with that two-timing, no good, violent, selfish boyfriend of yours?" Yuka asked, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

_I can't hide it any longer,_ Kagome thought._ I have to tell her the truth._

She nodded shyly.

"Aha! I thought so! Wait a moment… Than he is the one we met a while ago! With the long silver hair and amber eyes… Wow!" said Yuka triumphantly. Then she noticed the depressed look on her friend's face. "Kagome-chan?" On the few occasions she had met this Inuyasha person, she hadn't known who he was at the time, but he had always treated Kagome with kindness. So this look of sadness and anger made her confused.  
"It just wasn't right! He was always chasing after her. She was already dead, why couldn't he just get over her. She even tried to take him to hell! Why couldn't she just leave us alone. He knew how I felt. He such an idiot! I hate him so much!" Kagome cried out in anger and hit her pillow.

Yuka jumped back a bit, surprised.

"Kagome, you don't hate him. I can see it in your eyes. You must really love him to keep going back, even after he would run off. Why don't you just go back and tell him how you feel."  
"That's not the problem! He already knows." Kagome sobbed. "I cant go back to after what happened."  
"Kagome-chan, what? What happened?" Yuka questioned.

And so Kagome told her. She did her best to stay strong and not cry, but the urge was overwhelming.

Yuka took Kagome into a hug and tried to console her.

"Kagome-chan," She soothed "It's going to be ok. _Never give up_. Keep holding onto the hope. It'll turn out ok in the end." Kagome cried into her friend's shoulder.  
"I never wanted it to end this way. I just wanted everyone to be happy."

"I know, I know. Please just trying to keep holding on to the hope." Yuka looked at her watch and realized it was after noon. "I have to get back to school."  
"Please. Don't tell anyone. I cant let this get out. Promise?"  
"Promise." She gave Kagome one last hug. "Since the break is coming up… I was wondering… Maybe you want to come over, you know, for a party? Eri is throwing one, a Christmas get together."

"Actually, I'm leaving to go to a cabin at the outskirts of Tokyo. You know that one we used to go to as kids? And I'm leaving tonight. My okaa-san arranged it. Sorry." Kagome apologized.

"No it's ok. You need a stress free environment from what I've heard." Yuka glanced at her watch and said, "Well, I'd better get going! Nearly time for second period."

The two girls stood up and walked to the front door. Yuka grabbed her school bag and opened the door.

"Ja Ne! Oh, and you never know, I might just pop in, up at the cabin!" She said, winking at Kagome.

"That would be great! Ja Ne!" Kagome replied, happily.

She watched her friend hurry down the steps and leave the shrine.

Closing the door, Kagome leaned against it, allowing herself to think for a moment. She really did feel better after admitting it to Yuka. The weight on her shoulders had lessened. At least, for now, everything was alright.

* * *

Hoped you found it better.

**-Kellai-chan-**


	3. Chapter 3 Of Perverts and Desperation

Yay! Chapter 3 is finally ready.  
I also apologize for the lack of a decent title for this chapter. o.O

* * *

Chapter 3 - Of Perverts and Desperation

**--Feudal Japan--**

"Did hear what I think I just heard?" Sango questioned gazing out the doorway.

"Yes I heard him." Miroku answered. "He apologized!"

"Not that, you idiot. I meant the last thing he said before he left…"

Miroku nodded.

"You know what this means right?" the youkai exterminator asked.

"No, what?" Miroku asked, puzzled.

"I may not know much of the Inu-youkai traits, but I do know this. Inu-youkai chose only one mate. But they go through a process. Friendship is first. They must build a strong friendship to actually develop a relationship. They must learn to trust and depend on each other. Then comes love. To actually become his mate, the woman must be marked in different ways. Verbally and physically. So by saying that out loud, its like a verbal way of marking her as his mate.

Not only that, but those to keep each other in check. He only fights half as well as he does because he needs to protect Kagome. You know the only reason he can use the Tetsusaiga is because he wants to protect her. She is a mortal and the Tetsusaiga was forged with the will to protect Inuyasha's mother, a mortal. With her gone, his heart will be broken and he will not be able to fight, yet alone live. He might take drastic measures. We need to do something and quick…"

They sat there thinking of someway to fix what had happened. With every passing moment, Miroku casually sliding closer to Sango.

"HENTAI!"

**SLAP**

"How can you think of such things in a time like this?" She scolded, her face beet red.

Lady Kaede burst into the hut. She looked concerned, but it was definitely not for the semi-conscious monk on the ground.

"Kaede-sama… what's wrong?" Sango asked.

"I think we should wait until Miroku is awake. Would you like to wake him?"

"It would be my pleasure!" Sango said cheerfully. If Miroku was allowed have a little fun, so was she. She got up and grabbed Miroku's staff.

"Miroku!" she said soothingly, "Time to get up." She bent down and gently tapped his shoulder.

Miroku slowly opened his eyes. He didn't know where he was or what time of day it was. But none of that mattered. All that mattered was the Sango's face was inches away from his face.

"Ahh.. Sango, what a beautiful morning, but not half as beautiful as you. Would you do me the honour of bearing my…"

**SMACK**

"Baka. Get a hold of yourself.."

Lady Kaede chuckled quietly to herself, making aware her presence to Miroku.

"Ah, Kaede-sama. You look troubled. What is the matter?" He said not the least bit embarrassed of the scene that had just taken place. Probably because it was a daily ritual.

"I am afraid that Inuyasha has left. He has gone through the well in search of Kagome."

"Well I assumed that." said Miroku. "So I guess our problems are solved!"

"Houshi-sama!" Sango said glaring at him. "You know that's not true. What happens if she doesn't accept his apology? But then again who said he was even going to apologize."

"Inuyasha is a stubborn boy, but his intentions are good. Especially after what happened…" Lady Kaede said. She had been informed of Inuyasha's transformation. But not of her sister's death.

"Yeah, you're probably right. It's too bad he's to thick to see what we all see. Kagome will forgive him. She loves him to much to hold a grudge. _They _may deny their love but it is as plain as the nose on my face." said Sango. "

"And a very lovely nose, I might add." said Miroku, a perverted smirk on his face

"You never give up do you? Get a life, you pig." she said.

"There is just one thing that I don't understand." Lady Kaede began. "Why did Inuyasha not have Tetsusaiga at his side?"

With a sigh, Sango relayed the few details she knew of Kikyo's death.  
The cabin was silent for a moment.

"It is all for the best. I do not feel sorrow in my sister's decision. It should have happened long ago." Lady Kaede smiled sadly.  
The group sat in a respective silence.

Sango was the first to break the silence.

"I'm off to bed." She lifted Shippo into her arms said "Good night Kaede-sama. Goodnight houshi-sama." She bent down and looked at Kirara. "Keep an eye on Miroku please, you never know what he might try while I'm sleeping." Kirara growled at Miroku menacingly.

Sango patted the creature on the head and grabbed her blanket and walked over to the corner. She unfolded the blanket on the cot and laid down closing her eyes. Shippo lay in her arms. He snuggled closer, thinking of Kagome as he did so.

**--Present Japan--**

Kagome opened the door to the well house. She pulled it to the side and stepped into the room. She slowly walked down the steps towards the well. When she reached the edge, she put her hands on the stone.

It was cold, very cold.

She peeked over the side into the darkness, a mix of emotions rushing through her.

"Why should I go back? Its not like I have anything worth staying for. He can have the jewel. It was the only reason he needed me anyway. As soon as my trip is over I'll go back and give it to Sango. She can give it to him." She looked up putting her hands on her forehead. All of these false reassurances just made her feel worse.

"Why did this have to happen to me?" she whispered. "I just want to be normal. _It's not fair!_" She felt her knees weaken and shed dropped to the ground. Her emotions were overwhelming her. The tears streamed down her face. She wiped at them furiously, telling herself she was acting childish.

"Why am I even crying? Its not like… I-I really c-care about him..." She said, knowing in her heart it wasn't true.  
"Kagome?" Her mother's voice called.

"I'll... I'll be right there!" She answered her voice wavering slightly. She stood up and wiped her eyes one last time. She looked back over at the well, feeling a sense of despair, and ran toward the stairs, not looking back again. She closed the well house door and ran to her bedroom.

-----

Inuyasha sat cross-legged on a branch on the Sacred Tree. His eyes were closed but he was very much awake. Hidden amongst the branches, he listened but didn't hear anything important. He sniffed the air and was overcome by the stench of humans and pollution. Through the human scents, the strongest was Kagome's, and he could smell something salty on top of her scent.

_Tears, _he thought. _Well I cant blame her… How could I have let this happen?_

He jumped from the branch to the roof of her house and moved into a hidden spot so he wouldn't be seen. Even though it was night, he wanted to be completely hidden.

He heard another woman's voice_. Her mother, _he thought. He listened in on the conversation she was having with her daughter.

"Kagome, dear, you'd better get going!"

"Hai, okaa-san. I'll be ready in a sec. I just gotta do something."

_Where is she going? _wondered Inuyasha.

He heard a door open and flinched slightly. He saw Kagome walk outside toward the well and enter it. He wondered what she was doing. Inuyasha decided he was going to find out where she was going.

He jumped to the well house roof, making as little noise as possible. He could hear her talking to herself and listened in.

_But… I don't want the jewel! _He thought, part angrily and part heartbroken that she didn't understand that. _I just want… You…_

Not wanting to hear anymore, he pounced from the well house roof to the Kagome's house. He decided he needed to apologize before she left He'd go into her room and wait for her.

He crawled along the roof until he reached her window. He pulled it up with a little effort, and slipped in. He shut it behind him and looked around her room knowing he didn't have much time until she came back in. He spotted three suitcases by the bed.

_She must being going on some sort of a trip. But I cant let her go! _he thought. _Shit…_ _What would you rather do?_ He asked himself. _Be sat to hell trying to stop her, or sneak…_

"Hmm.." he said quietly, trying to think of what to do. "Aha!" He grabbed the biggest suitcase and opened it. He dumped the contents, all of Kagome's clothes, onto the floor and shoved them under her bed. He bent down and crawled into the suitcase and zipped up the zipper as best he could. The space was very small and dark. There wasn't much he could do, so he tried to relax. He couldn't keep his heart from racing.

_I am so sorry Kagome, _he thought.

He closed his eyes, and escaped the thoughts the best way he knew how. He fell asleep.

------

"Kagome! Come _on_!" Her mother shouted. "We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming!" yelled Kagome. She grabbed her two smaller suitcases, positioning them strategically, one under her right arm the other in her right hand. Then she grabbed the biggest one.

_Hmm, that's odd, _she thought. _It seems heavier than before. _She checked her room one more time, spotting her wallet on her desk. She walked over and set the suitcases down. She opened up the wallet and saw her birthday money. She closed it and stuffed it into the pocket of her pants.

_Just in case!_ She thought.

"Kagome! Come on. Ten minutes until your train leaves!"

"Hai.. Hai." Giving it no further thought she bound out her bedroom door running down the stairs, nearly colliding with Souta.

"Hey, sis watch it!" he said angrily.

"Sorry Souta. See you in a little while! I love you! Say goodbye to jii-chan for me, ok?"

Before Souta could reply Kagome was out the door and in her mother's car.

_------_

About five minutes later they arrived at the train station. Kagome opened the car door and stepped into the fading daylight.

_It may be cloudy and polluted here, but I love it anyway. _

She had missed the hustle and bustle, though most would be happy to be rid of it. She hated feeling lonely and never knowing what was going to happen. To sum it up in four words, not being in control. Finally she could direct her own life. Not be told what to do.

She loved the freedom.  
"Kagome, dear, come here." Her mother called. Kagome walked over to her mother and watched as she paid a boy to put her bags in the luggage department

"Wait!" Kagome said. "I think I'll keep them with me…" She felt some urge to keep them by her side. It was a strange feeling.

"Sure, I'll go put them in your room."

"Nani? My room?" she asked her mother curiously.

"Yes, I thought you might like a bed and couch since it's such a long ride there."

"Arigato, Mama!" Kagome said gratefully.

"It was no problem. You deserve a treat." The train whistle rang. "Kagome go on now. Goodbye and see you in a few weeks!" She hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her forehead.

"I'll be sure to enjoy it and don't worry I'll be fine!." She gave her mother a sly look.

"Kagome!" her mother said scornfully.

"I was just kidding!" She yelled as she ran to the door of her cabin. "Goodbye, and I love you!" She handed the man at the door her ticket and he showed her to her room.

"Arigato." Kagome told him. "Could you please knock on my door when we arrive at stop 4?"

"Hai." He said, bowing respectively. He rose up and left through the door.

She finally got a look at the room. It was relatively small, but very cozy. There was a small bed and a couch beside a large glass window. There was a little card table and two chairs. Beside the couch was her suitcase. There was also a small bathroom.

_I guess I'll just take a little nap then, _she thought.

She laid down on the bed. Almost the second her head hit the pillow, darkness clouded her mind and she shut her eyes falling into the abyss of sleep.

* * *

Bleh, dont like this chapter much. It's ok, just not one of my favourites XD;;;

Sorry about this chapter being so short... It's hard, when I'm going through the story for a third time, to decide when to end chapters.  
I guess that's it.

Laterz,

**-Kellai-chan-**


	4. Chapter 4 One Heck of a Train Ride

Hi!

Once again, I apologize for the uber-crappy title! )  
_  
12/04 And just a note: INUYASHA MOVIE 4 (Crimson Horai Island) COMES OUT THIS THURSDAY (Thursday, December 24, 2004) OMFG I AM SO EXCITED! YESH! YESH!YESH! DDD! .!  
_

Heh, well I must say that was an amazing movie. I did end up seeing it and enjoyed it thoroughly, though I still believe the second is best.

* * *

Chapter 4 - One Heck of a Train Ride

Inuyasha stood up stretching out his limbs.

He had been in the cramped space far too long. When his legs had started going numb, he knew it was time to get out. He couldn't reach the zipper so he had had to use his claws and rip the bag open. He looked over at it, or what was left of it.

_I'll have to find another one to give her._

He looked around the little room.

_Where am I?_ He wondered. He heard a soft _'click, click, click.'_ Looking out the window he saw that the ground was moving. _What in the world?_ He was suddenly scared. _Wait a sec. I know what this is. This is one of those things that moves by itself! _

His fear disappeared as quickly as it had come. He turned around and saw Kagome on the bed. He tiptoed over to her and just stood there, watching her. She looked so serene and calm.

_How could I ever have hurt her? _

His hands curled into fists.

_How did I let this happen?_

He felt immense anger for his loss of control. He should have been able to control his emotions. Even without Tetsusaiga, he shouldn't have transformed just because of the anger and sorrow he had felt and still felt. He promised himself he would never let Tetsusaiga out of his sight again.

But in the meantime he had Kagome to worry about.

_I guess I'll wait until she wakes up… _He thought.

He stood, staring out the window.

Kagome awoke with a start, a cold sweat covering her forehead.

_What was that?_ She thought. She had just relived the afternoon of Inuyasha's youkai transformation. She was shaking slightly, and her eyes were clouded with tears. Having to go through it once was bad enough… but twice!

But something else about the dream was bothering her.

She hadn't seen the dream from her point of view, but as if she was staring down at the forest from the clouds. She'd seen Inuyasha and Kikyo together, right before Inuyasha had come to where she and Sango had been standing.

She'd seen Kikyo walk away… And then it was as if her form had completely disappeared. Inuyasha had chased after the undead miko but he too, found she was gone.

It was then that he had turned demon.

Was it only a dream?  
Or had Kikyo really disappeared?

What did it mean?

She rolled over onto her side and stared blankly at the wall. _I thought I was supposed to be relaxing. Now all I'm going to be doing is worrying about my friends. _

A sense of deep remorse washed over her.

_I just wish it hadn't happened this way._ She was deep in thought when she heard a rustling noise coming from her suitcase. She sensed a familiar presence and peeked, her eyes barely open.

_INUYASHA? _She thought._ What is he doing here? _

Her body tensed with fear and she shut her eyes tight, thinking that maybe she was still dreaming. She willed herself to wake up but finally realized she really wasn't dreaming. Her heart began to beat rapidly and she knew she would have to face Inuyasha sooner or later. Her body tensed with fear.

_The sooner the better… I guess…_

But just to be safe, she said,

"Osuwari."

Inuyasha crashed into the floor as Kagome sat up. He looked up at her with a confused expression.

"You're awake?" He asked.

She nodded, her eyes filled with fear, her hands digging into the sheets. She took a deep breath and boldly asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I…I'm… Well…" He mumbled. He just couldn't bring himself to look at her. He was racked with guilt.

"Inuyasha?" She asked quietly. "Why are you here?"

He slowly stood up. He made to move towards her. She inched away slightly.

He stopped and looked at her with a hurt expression.

"I… I'm so sorry…" He whispered.

She looked at him with mock confusion and asked for what. And then a strange thought crossed her mind.

_Maybe_, she thought, _if I pretend it never happened we could get on with our lives. _After all, Inuyasha usually did not remember what happened when he was demon.

"Kagome…" He moved towards her, and sat on the bed beside her. He could see her trembling and his heart stung painfully. "I never meant for it to happen…"

Kagome let go of the blankets and exhaled. She put her hands together in her lap and tried to stop them from shaking. _Why am I so afraid…? He does have Tetsusaiga… _

"W-What do you m-mean?" She questioned

_Ignore it and it will go away. _

If she could forgot about it then everything would be ok.

But she could see the hurt in his eyes…

Inuyasha stood up and walked a few feet away from the bed, his back to her.

"I shouldn't have let it happen…" He stood frozen for a minute, and then he seemed to burst. Words came spilling out as he turned back to her. "I'm sorry for attacking you. I never meant to hurt you. I just lost control. I don't know how I let it happen… But you've got to understand…"

Kagome had never seen him like this. It was as if he was having an emotional break down. Not too different than she had had the past afternoon with Yuka.

She could see how distraught he was over what had happened.

She was doing her best to forgive him. But… something in her was holding her back. She just didn't feel the same anymore. Something within her was lost. Something she and Inuyasha had shared.

Trust.

"U-Understand what…?" She asked finally, breaking the silence. Inuyasha stared at her with dead eyes and uttered an explanation.

"Before I attacked you… I was with Kikyo…"

"I know!" She interrupted him, anger coating her voice. _Why does he have to bring up Kikyo at a time like this!_ "You don't need to remind me."

Inuyasha tensed and looked at her with hurt eyes.

"I was with Kikyo because she was saying goodbye, ok!" He exclaimed. Kagome jumped in surprise at his outburst. It took her a moment to comprehend what he had said. And when she finally realized what he'd just told her, she was overwhelmed with a feeling of guilt.

She ran to Inuyasha and embraced him.

"Oh my god… I'm so sorry!" She cried, tears flowing down her face. And this entire time she had thought Inuyasha had been with Kikyo for a completely different reason. And that he had attacked her just because of jealousy of Kouga. "I… I had no idea."

She pulled him tighter and leaned her head against his chest, whispering apologies.

"Kagome… It's alright…" He consoled. "I just want you to know that I never meant for it to happen. I would never ever want to hurt you…"

She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. Her dream made sense now. Kikyo had left him.

"I know." She took his hands and held them between them. "I understand. And as much… As much as I disliked Kikyo… I know how you feel… To lose someone you love…" She shook her head. She could only imagine. "I… I can't blame you for becoming overwhelmed by your feelings." All of her anger was gone and had been replaced by sympathy. If only she had known…

Her fear of him had been abandoned as well. She knew he wouldn't hurt her again. It would take her a while, but in time, she could learn to trust him again. Without enemies to face and people to interfere the two could get on with their lives… Their relationship.

For a moment Kagome and Inuyasha stood together in a silent state of serene bliss.

And then Inuyasha broke the silence.

"So… Kagome… Where _are _we going?"

Kagome put a hand to her mouth and began to laugh. The anger, sadness and stress her body had housed was all washed away. She laughed at Inuyasha's annoyed look.

"Really? Where are we going?"

Kagome smiled and said, "My cottage."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, we're just going for a couple weeks…"

"What!" Inuyasha asked, surprised.

"Yeah… My mom sort of planned it for me…" Kagome smiled weakly and continued, "Don't worry. It'll be… fun. There's only one problem."

Inuyasha asked her what.

"Well… I cant let you run around in your kimono. People would-"

"But I've come here before and you never said anything, about it."

"Yeah well… We're on a train and there's going to be a lot of people when we get off… I just don't want to attract attention."

Inuyasha nodded , not daring to ask what a train was.

Kagome sat down on the bed and wondered what she was going to do when she heard Inuyasha say, "Oh shit! I forgot!"

She looked at up at him a jumped in surprise.

Inuyasha was human.

He looked up at her. His long silver hair had been replaced with black hair. His fangs and claws were gone, replaced by normal teeth and fingernails. His eyes had changed from their normal amber colour, to a dark brown. Lastly, his dog ears had disappeared, and two human ones appeared at the sides of his head.

"I… I forgot." he repeated. She walked to his side.

"I guess this'll make it a lot easier to get off the train unnoticed.." She smiled sweetly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and cursed his human body.

Then he remembered something. He bit his lip and debated whether or not to tell Kagome… About the suitcase.

"Ano… Kagome?"

"Hai, Inuyasha?" she asked.

He walked over to where the remains of the suitcase lay. "I hope you aren't angry, I sorta destroyed your bag."

She collapsed onto the bed. Smacking her hand onto her forehead, glaring at Inuyasha. She now understand how he had gotten here.

"Oi! That had all my clothes in it! Inuyasha no baka! Now what am I going to do? I have no clothes."

_What am I supposed to do now?_ She wondered.

"Wait a sec." She reached into the pocket of her pants. Her fingers slid around the smooth leather of her wallet. She grasped it and pulled it out. "Yes! Here it is."

Inuyasha sat down on the bed and slid closer to her staring intently at it. She unfolded it and took out some bills. She had about 17, 000 yen. It was money she had saved from past birthdays.

"See, this is our form of money. We use it to buy things like food, clothes, and other stuff."  
"Oh…" He said understandingly, even though he was still very confused. Kagome saw the look on his face and smiled. "Don't worry, it's not really important. I'll just need this to get us some clothes."

"But why cant I just wear my kimono? I do every other time I'm here." He asked

"Well, we're going to be here for a while... It would just be better. I don't want to attract attention. We're lucky tonight is your human night."  
"Keh, speak for yourself." He replied. "So then how can I walk off the train wearing this?"

"Oh… I don't know, but we'll have to think up something fast." She said pausing to think of a solution. "Ha! I know." She stood up and turned to look at Inuyasha, who was still sitting on the bed. "You wait here, I'll be back in a minute. Don't go anywhere!" She said menacingly, pointing her finger at him.

"Don't worry I wont." He said.

She strode briskly over to the door and opened it a crack. But before disappearing through it, she gave Inuyasha one more scowl. "I mean it!"

She closed the door behind her and looked around. She was in the dining car. She stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Excuse me miss. Do you need something?" A curious waiter asked.

"Oh… uh. Yes." She said snapping out of her thoughts. "Could you tell me where the gift shop is?"  
"Sure, follow me." He said politely.

He moved swiftly between the tables, making sure not to bump into anyone. They quickly arrived at a door and he said, "Right through here."

"Arigato gozaimasu." She said.

She walked through the door way into a room that was full with shelves and countertops. She was looking around when an old lady came up behind her.

"Konbanwa." Said the old woman cheerfully. Kagome turned around and greeted the woman.

"What can I help you with?" The old woman asked politely.

"Well I needs to buy some clothes. Men's clothes." She replied.

"Sure, over there, in the right corner." The old woman went back over behind the cash register.  
Kagome walked over to the corner to find a crowded countertop. It had a few different t-shirts on it, as well as a couple pairs of sweat pants.

_Hmm.. I wonder what size he is. _She thought. She grabbed a plain, medium, black t-shirt and held it up. _This looks big enough._

_Now, onto pants._ She looked over the different pairs of pants. She finally settled on a pair of grey baggy sweats. _I guess a medium would do well for these too. _She grabbed them as well as a pair of sandals. She walked up to the register and laid the shirt and pants on the countertop, in front of the woman. " I would like to buy these, please."  
"Sure," The woman said scanning the tags. "That will be 4,329 yen."

Kagome opened her wallet and took out a few bills. She handed it to the woman, who opened the cash register put it in. She took out the change and handed it to Kagome. She folded the t-shirt and pants and put them in a bag.

"Ah, arigato." Kagome said. She took the bag and walked back over to the door. She opened it and stepped back into the dining cart.

Making her way around the tables she found the door that led to her private cabin. She opened it and looked in.

_Oh dear gods! Where in the hells in Inuyasha?_ She looked around to check that he really wasn't there. _I told him to stay here. Why couldn't he just listen?_

"Inuyasha?" She called out, she made to turn around and as she did Inuyasha pounced on her, knocking her onto the bed.

Kagome shrieked in fright and dropped her bag as she was pushed. She yelled, "Osuwari!" as a sort of reflex and heard a loud crash. She took a breath and looked down. Inuyasha was lying on the floor.

She began to laugh and Inuyasha looked up at her.

"Well that's what you get for trying to scare me." She apologized and told him it was just her reflex to say 'the word,' though he didn't seem to believe her.

She stood up and looked around for the bag she had dropped. She spotted it beside the door. Walking over and picking it up, she said, "Inuyasha, come here for a sec!"

Inuyasha obliged and walked over to her.

"Here, I got you some clothes." She said pushing the bag toward him. "Go and put these on in the bathroom." She pointed him towards the room. He grabbed the bag from her and went into the room.

Kagome walked over to the bed and sat down, feeling exhausted. _I thought this was supposed to be stress-free!_

_I've been with Inuyasha for less than an hour and I'm already tired. Humph! Well at least I know that Kikyo is finally at peace. I honestly- _

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha called stirring her from her thoughts.

"What?" She called back.

"Come here!" He commanded.

She sighed and got up. She wandered over to the bathroom and opened the door.

"Nani?" She asked.  
"Look! I look so… so stupid!" He said.

Kagome looked him over. He looked pretty good. The top fit just right. It showed off his well toned chest. The sweats weren't bad either. They were quite cute on him. She smiled. _Wow, he really looks good in those clothes. Much better than that baggy kimono._

"Inuyasha, they look fine." _Actually they look better than fine, _she thought with a smile.

"What are you staring at?" He asked angrily.

"Nothing. You look great in those." She thought out loud. She let out a surprised "Oh," realizing what she had said. She began blushing furiously.

"Keh." He said crossing his arms.

_I cannot believe I just said that out loud, _Kagome thought, mentally smacking herself.

_I cannot believe she just said that out loud, _Inuyasha thought happily. He had a hard time keeping the sly grin off his face.

"What are you so happy about?" The girl asked, looking at the grin that so resembled the pervert houshi, when he was about to grope Sango. She shuddered.

"Nothing." He said. "What am I supposed to do with Tetsusaiga?" He asked.

"J-Just… Hold onto it… Whatever you do… D-Don't let it go…" She said awkwardly. She didn't care how strange he looked walking down the street with a sword.

Inuyasha's stomach dropped.

_She still doesn't trust me… And it's my human night! I cant even transform if I wanted to… _He sighed, feeling overwhelming sadness. How could he get her to trust him again?

Kagome broke the silence by walking out of the bathroom. She put his kimono into a bag and handed it to him. He took it from and was about to leave the small bathroom when a sound scared the two of them.

_-Knock, knock, knock.- _

"Sumimasen, miss?" An attendant asked from the door.

"Inuyasha stay here and don't make a sound." She whispered. He nodded and walked back to the bathroom, staying hidden behind the door.

Kagome walked to the door and opened it. "Yes?" She asked.

"We are arriving at your stop."

"Arigato."  
The boy bowed and walked away. Kagome closed the door, her hand lingering on the metal handle. _I guess this is it..._

_The beginning to a new future._

"Inuyasha?" She called.

"Yeah? Can I come out now?" He asked.  
"Hai…" She heard the click of the bathroom door opening. Inuyasha stepped out and looked at her.

"Why are you standing there?" He asked, noticing the weird expression on her face.

"Oh… Sorry just daydreaming" She said wearily.

"What did that kid want?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"He just wanted to tell me that we've arrived at my stop." She looked up into Inuyasha's deep dark brown eyes. Her mood suddenly changed. She smiled. "Inuyasha come on let's go!" She ran over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door. He smiled and held her small hand.

_This feels so right,_ thought Kagome. _I'll do my best… to learn to trust him… I promise._

She grabbed her two bags and shifted them into one hand, so she could still hold Inuyasha's.

And so they walked, off the train, into the darkness of the night. People around watched this funny couple. They stared in envy, just looking at the way the two held hands and smiled. (Though a few were a little intimidated by the sword the boy carried.) They were in love. And it was the truest kind of love. With out worry or fear. It was pure.

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha.  
"Come on, this way." Walking toward the road, she put down the suitcases. She stuck her arms out waving. She was trying to flag down a cab.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Inuyasha.

"I'm trying to get us a cab."

"What's a cab?"  
"Do you remember what a car is?" She asked, Inuyasha nodded. "Well a cab is someone you pay to drive you to a place. My cabin is a fair distance away so it'll be quicker to drive."  
"Well…Why don't you just get on my back. We could get there quicker than taking a stupid 'cab.'" He said, completely confused at what she had just said.

"Number one, you're human tonight. Number two, people aren't used to seeing a human girl and a dog boy jumping through the sky. The last thing we need is attention."  
Inuyasha muttered something that sounded like stupid, weak humans.

Kagome ignored him and turned back to the road. Finally a yellow coloured taxi pulled up to the curb. She opened the door and urged Inuyasha in.

"Just go and sit down." She told him. He reluctantly obeyed, climbing into the vehicle.

The driver opened the trunk and Kagome put her bags inside.

"Your boyfriend crazy about kendo or something?" The man asked.

She blushed and started to tell him that he wasn't her boyfriend, but stopped herself. _What do I care if he thinks Inuyasha's my boyfriend? _

"Oh yeah… We're going to his, uh, competition tomorrow… He's just, you know, really protective of his sword.. It's a family heirloom."

"Right.." The man nodded in understanding, closing the trunk.

Kagome walked around the side of the car and opened the door. She got in and put her seat belt on. She reached over and pulled Inuyasha's on. Inuyasha huffed, and mumbled "I knew that."

"So, where to?" Asked the driver.

"Ano… Onotoko Road, number 43." She told him..

He nodded and the car took off, speeding down the road. Inuyasha, very unfamiliar with this form of travel, became very frightened. His fingernails dug into the sheath of Tetsusaiga.

Kagome looked at him and sensed his fear. This was his first time actually riding in a car. She had shown them to him before, but he had never dared go near one.

Kagome reached over to his hand and held it.  
"Calm down." She whispered soothingly.

He looked over at her and smiled in thanks. He held her hand tightly and looked out the window, at the blurring scenery.

* * *

Aw, this chapter is so cute! I'm happy with how Kagome's character turned out for this chapter.. she didnt just be all apologetic but she actually was still frightened and what not. But I am still so happy that she did forgive him! Of course, it woulda been better if he had never done it in the first place ;.;

**Chotto Matte! **wait a sec...

It's my story... I can make the characters do anything.. -devilish giggle.. er laugh-

That gives me a good idea... : D

_Welcome to Kellai-chan's "I can make the characters of Inuyasha do whatever I want" game show!_

_And now, let's introduce the characters!_

_Kagome -_Kagome walks on-_ A teenage school girl, with a major dependacy problem, who fell down a well and was transported into the Sengoku Jidai. Oh, and she has a thing for the word "osuwari" (I mean wtf is up what that!)_ -Kagome gives the host, Kellai-chan, the evil eye but then bursts into fits of giggles.-

_Inuyasha -_Inuyasha walks on-_ A hanyou who needs to get over his dead girlfriend and has uber-kawaii puppy ears _-Begins pulling out Tetsusaiga, to murder Kellai-chan, but a bucket of cement is thrown on his body, and uber powerful fans appear beside him and blow the cement, drying it.- _Inuyasha can no long move_

_Miroku_ -Miroku walks on-_ A travelling monk with a kazaana in his hand (That attracts sympathy from pretty girls) and a man that really should to register with the sex-offenders listing. _-Miroku attempts to grope Kellai-chan, but she conjures up a magical rosary that goes around his neck. She shouts "HENTAI" and he slams into the ground. Inuyasha laughs hysterically.-

_Sango -Sango walks on- A taijiya who's entire village and familywas murdered and who's brother is (oh screw it. I cant think of anything bad about Sango. And she's been through too much already ) _-POOF Sango magically disappears-

_Sesshomauru_ -Sesshy walks on- _A full demon and Inuyasha;s half brother who thinks he's to good for the world. Oh, and he looks good in make-up P_

_And last but not least_

_Naraku _-Naraku **glides** on- _A evil half demon (erm.. i guess full considering he got rid of his human heart) who has underling-itis (A rare disease where one gets his underlings or puppets/ coppies of himself to do everything.) and who has a fetish for monkey pelts._

_And now, on with the show._

_Today, the characters of Inuyasha will be taking requests from the audience._

Inuyasha: _What the fuck! Why am I here?- _wriggles around, trying to break free of cement-

Kellai-chan: _Muahahahaha! That is Inuyasha-Proof Cement _-Pulls out a bucket with a picture of Inuyasha on front. It says "Inuyasha-Proof Cement_"- Remember kids, when buying cement, make sure to ask for Inuyasha-Proof Cement. _

Sesshomauru: _I think I'd like a bucket of that... Wait! I, Lord Sesshomauru, shall not be bought over by crappy endorsments. Besides, its too expensive. _

Kellai-chan: _And now, we'll take our first request! _-runs up to random audience memeber with hand up- _Uh, yeeeeees? What is your request?_

Random Audience Member: _Like, Oh my gawd! I totally want Inuyasha and Sesshomauru to kiss!_

Inuyasha: _You are trully sick in the head!_

Kellai-chan:_-_Laughs hysterically- _Well you heard them, boys!_

Sesshomauru: _I shall not! You disgusting human with your disgusting requests! I've had enough of this. I'm leaving. turns around and begins walking in a random direction_

Kellai-chan: _Oh no your not, Sesshy-chan! _

Sesshomauru: -Stops dead in his tracks- _What... What did you just call me?_

Kellai-chan: _What are you talking about, SESSHY-CHAN?_ -devilish laugh-. _Now, on with the request. _-Runs up to Sesshoumaru and with super human (er. demon) strength, pushes Sesshomaru to Inuyasha, who is stuck in cement.-

_Inuyasha Yaoi fangirls(and boys) all over the world are sitting on the edges of their seats as Sesshomaurus head inches closer to Inuyasha's..._

ER... MAYBE NOT!

I think I'll stick to writing using the character's original personality...  
I am not ever.. ever going to force them.. to er... do something they wouldnt want (and Takahashi-san) wouldnt .. er..approve of.

And besides.. I'm not an fangirl of Inuyasha Yaoi... Thats just plain wrong!  
_-'Ahem' Regains composure.- _Well then, I suppose that's all for now.

See ya next time!

**xFallenxGoddessx:**


	5. Chapter 5 Together Always

Ok, gotta give credits to someone.

THANK YOU SO MUCH _SILVERSTARWING!_ You are incredibly awesome. Thank you so much for reviewing and telling me how unbelievable this chapter was. (well one part in it.) You sparked me to change it, which also helped me to go through the entire fic again!you are awesome for all the help you give me, whenever I need it!

I will forever remain your dedicated beta. I await your next chapter faithfully D. Hehe.

Also, do check out my favourite stories list as you can read her story personalities of the past which I beta.. It's a very, very good story. I wouldnt beta it if it wasnt.. Also check out_ Michiyo Hikari's_ stories too. I beta them as well. (they're Gundam Seed fics.) They are awesome too :D.

* * *

Chapter 5 - Together Always

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the cabin. Kagome thanked the driver and handed him some money. He opened the trunk and she grabbed her stuff.

A shaken Inuyasha stumbled out of the car, dizzily. He walked up to the porch of the cabin, and sat on the steps. Kagome walked toward the cabin, carrying the luggage as the taxi drove off.

"Inuyasha? Are you ok? You look really pale." She asked, worriedly.

"I-I'm ok. I think. I'm just a little shaken, is all."

He stood up and grasped the railing, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Finally he felt better.

"Come on. Let's go in the house. We'll have something to eat an then you'll feel better."  
Inuyasha agreed and walked up the steps, wearily. He felt very tired. She fumbled with a key and finally got the door open. She stepped in and found that the lights were already on.

Her mother's friend had come and turned on the electricity and stocked the cupboards and fridge. That took a load off Kagome's shoulders. She dropped the bags and looked around the small living area.

So many memories flooded into her mind, coming here with her mother and Souta when she was younger, the many summer sleepovers with Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, and even the vague memories of her father. She yearned to relive those again. Snapping out of her thoughts, she walked over to the kitchen.

"Inuyasha, could you come here please!" She yelled.

Inuyasha walked into the kitchen and looked around. It would be hard for him to adjust to all the new sights and sounds. He'd never really spent more than a day or two in her world… So a couple weeks, as Kagome had so kindly put it, would be a big adjustment.

"There should be some firewood around the side… I'd like you to go and get it while I get dinner ready." She asked sweetly.

"Fine. Make me do all the work… And on my human night too…" He complained sarcastically, walking away.

_------_

Two hours later a fire was burning and six empty ramen cups lay strewn over the dining room table.

"You really shouldn't eat so quickly, Inuyasha."  
"Shaaaaawdup." He said stuffing more noodles into his mouth. Kagome giggled and stuck her tongue out at him.

"So…Tomorrow we'll go shopping for some more clothes. In the meantime, I think I'll do some homework before I go to bed." She looked over at a clock on the wall to see what time it was. It read nine o'clock. She walked over to the door and grabbed one of her bags. She opened it and took out her math book.

"I really have a lot of catching up to do…" She mumbled as she walked over to the couch. She sat down and opened her book. Her face curled into a frown. _What is this stuff! _

"Hey I thought this was a vacation for you…What're you doing that stuff for?" Inuyasha asked, noticing the frustration on her face

"Well if I want to get into a good school, I have to study." She said, more to convince herself that she needed to do this.

Inuyasha shook his head and swallowed the remaining ramen. He pushed his chair back and stood up.

"I think I'm going to go outside for a while. You know, to keep watch."

"Inuyasha, there's nothing to keep watch for. We're perfectly safe here." Kagome rolled her eyes and went back to studying. She heard the front door open and close.

As much as she wanted… Err… Well… As much as she **knew** she had to study, she just couldn't concentrate.

She closed her book and put it on the ground beside her. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

_I think I'll just rest my eyes for a few minutes…_

Inuyasha leaned his head against the wall of the cabin, his hands tightly clutching Tetsusaiga. He sighed and looked at the new moon.

The words… Those simple words Miroku had said when Inuyasha had talked to him in Kaede's hut, rang through his mind. Those words Miroku had _thought _he hadn't heard. But then again, he guessed Miroku had wanted him to hear them…

_'Honestly, if you would just **tell her how you really felt **it would do us all a great favour.'_

Inuyasha stood up, abruptly and walked to the door. He stared in and saw Kagome asleep on the couch. Admiring her calm and innocent face. Again the same thing he had thought on the train was bothering him.

_How could I ever have hurt her?_

Even if he could get enough courage to tell her his true feelings, would he be able to do it without guilt? Every time he looked at her he was reminded of Kikyo and his unfulfilled debt to her… He just couldn't tell Kagome he loved her if still loved Kikyo. It wouldn't be fair to Kagome.

'You idiot!' He conscience yelled at him. 'Did you even hear a word of Kikyo said!'

_What? _He asked.

'Her dying wish was that you be happy and live on! If you want to be at peace with Kikyo's memory, fulfil her wish. Be happy. And if being happy means being happy with Kagome, then so be it!'

Inuyasha was at a loss for words. His heart was literally being torn in two. Why must he be forced to choose between the memory of the woman he _loved _and the, well, life with the woman he _loves_?

'You know it yourself!' His conscience told him. 'Kikyo is just that! A memory. She has moved on and wants you to do the same! Why cant you see that?'

And it was as if Inuyasha had stepped into the light. He finally understood what his conscience meant.

Kikyo was only ever a memory.

Even when she had been revived, it had never really _been _her, the woman he had loved so long ago.

But when he was with Kagome, he had felt that same thing. That desire and happiness. That passion and courage. And most of all, the love. The love that had kept him alive. That had kept his soul and heart alive.

Without Kagome, he was like a jigsaw puzzle with that one piece missing.

And he knew what had to do.

It was the only way he could both honour Kikyo's memory and dying wish and make up everything he had ever done to Kagome. He had put her through too much and he needed to do something about it.

Taking a deep breath he opened the door and stepped inside.

He slowly stepped towards Kagome his hands quivering.

_Oh yeah, _He thought sarcastically, _I can look death in the face and laugh but when it comes to l-love, I'm quite useless._

He stopped beside the couch, his hand on the armrest, and stared at Kagome.

_Figures she'd be asleep. _

He smiled and moved in front of her. He put his arms under her knees and behind her back and picked her up gently.

Her eyes fluttered and she snuggled closer to him. Her arms slid around him, pulling him closer.

He blushed at her actions. Calming himself, he walked towards the bedroom. He tried to remember which one it was. Kagome had showed him, but he'd forgotten, of course.

He finally found it and opened the door. Closing it behind him, he drifted to the bed and bent down to lay the girl down. But she wouldn't let go of him.

"Kagome…" He whispered, knowing it wouldn't do any good. His cheeks flushed a crimson red as he decided it wouldn't be any good. She just wasn't going to let go.

He bit his lip and walked back into the living room. Holding onto her tightly with one arm, he used the other to grab a blanket from the back of the couch.

He sat down on the couch and placed Kagome beside him. He put the blanket over them and felt Kagome rest her head on his shoulder, her arms around him.

Inuyasha stared into the fire, unable to say anything. His face took on a sad expression.

"I'm so sorry Kagome…" He whispered, knowing she was asleep. "You deserve better than me. I can't even control myself… I'm only a hanyou…" He shook his head in disgust and looked to the window, the new moon visible above the trees.

"I just wish_… _I want you to be happy_…_Please, just try to forgive me. I promise I'll do my best to not make those mistakes again…" He closed his eyes. His heart was beating very quickly. "And to know that I love you, even if I don't always show it_…_"

Staring down at her sleeping figure, he admired her beauty. The way her chest rose and fell with each breath. The way her silky hair fell upon her shoulders. The way her cheeks were tinted with a slight rosy colour.

"You've been there for me, when no one else was… You stood by me after all I put you through." He whispered. "I don't know… What I would do without you. I really do love you more than you'll ever know…"

He sighed and shook his head, knowing he could never tell her these things if she were awake.

"Inuyasha…" He heard her whisper, though her eyes remained closed. "Do you… Do you really mean it?"

Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat.

_She was… awake the whole time? _

"Eh… Um…Kagome…" Inuyasha began to blush and looked away.

Kagome smiled, tears of happiness trailing down her cheeks as she snuggled closer.

"Thank you… Inuyasha." She felt all of the fear and anger she had housed towards Inuyasha disappearing. "A-And… I… I love you too."

Inuyasha stared down at her , finally understanding just how much he really loved her. How much she _meant _to him.

He leant down and gently kissed her. She smiled at him, her eyes warm and loving,

"I will always be there for you." He promised her, stroking her hair.

"And I'll stay by your side. Forever." She vowed, gazing at him with longing in her eyes.

He leaned down and kissed her again, this time more passionately.

And it all felt so right.

Why had they denied themselves this relationship? This love?

But none of that mattered, because they were finally **together. **They were complete.

And so, as if with that one confession of love, and that one kiss, a bond was formed. A bond that would go on to last for all of eternity.

Of course, there would be bumps along the road, but that's what life is about, isn't it? It's about overcoming your fears and growing. It's about understanding yourself and those around you. And most of all, its about being able to open your heart, mind, and soul to another person. To allow them to see into the deepest depths of you.

And so the night was filled with physical and emotional verification of this special bond. These two would gain something that night, that hardly anyone had ever been able to have or to understand.

Pure, untainted love.

* * *

That was so much better than what i had before... -.-;;  
Also, I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but in this case, this was how it needed to be.

I don't think I could have ended it anywhere else.  
-sigh-

Well thats all for now!

Ja ne!

**-Kellai-chan-**


	6. Chapter 6 A Surprise Visit

Hi, again!

I'm back with chapter 6! Hope ya guys like it!

* * *

Chapter 6 - A Surprise Visit

It was mid-afternoon when Kagome and a disguised Inuyasha entered a small shopping centre. Kagome had managed to find one of her dad's old woollen hats, in a box in the basement. He was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday.

The two walked hand-in-hand towards the clothing department. Inuyasha still clutching Tetsusaiga.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine." She said, trying to calm him down. He was quite edgy whenever he was around people from her time. He kept looking around, as if he was very paranoid.

"Keh." He said, trying to act normal. But then again, normal for him, wasn't normal for Kagome's time.

Finally they reached the clothing department. Kagome lead Inuyasha towards the men's section. She stopped and looked at different t-shirts and pants.

"Come here!" Kagome asked. Inuyasha walked over and stood, looking at the clothes. Kagome took a five shirts and three pairs of pants off the racks. She also had a pack of seven pairs of boxers, which she would just buy at the front.

"You have to try them on, to see if they fit." she said, motioning toward the t-shirts and pants.

Inuyasha began lifting his shirt off when Kagome yelled, "Not here!" She began to blush.

Inuyasha looked at her stupidly and said, "Then where?"  
"They have changing rooms, over there!" she said pointing to a corner of the store. "Go over there and wait for me. I'm going to grab a few things I saw. Don't do anything stupid!" She handed him the clothes and walked towards the women's section and left Inuyasha by himself.

Inuyasha walked over to the change rooms and stared at the curtain. _What do I do? _He wondered.

"Excuse me, sir? Would you like to try those on?" asked a woman in a blue vest.

"Uh.. Yeah, I guess." He replied.

The lady pulled back the curtain on the first change room and said, "Here you go."

Inuyasha stepped in and closed the curtain. He took off his shirt and tried on the first one. It felt just like the shirt he had just had on. He figured it fit fine so he tried on the other four. They fit the same. He then tried on the pants, to find that they fit. He changed back into his original clothing and picked up the stuff he had tried on.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome waved. "Did they fit?" she asked walking towards him.

"Hai."

"Let's go then, I don't really want to stay here for too long." She said taking his hand and walking with him toward the counter. She laid down the few skirts and tops she had bought, as well as his pants, tops, and boxers.

The lady scanned them and said, "Your total comes to 11,255 yen."

Kagome fished around in her pockets for her wallet. She pulled it out an gave the cashier the money.

"Inuyasha, can you please put those in bags?" She asked, as the cashier handed Kagome her change. She the coins in her wallet and pocketed it.

He walked down to the end of the counter and packed a few plastic bags with their purchases. She walked toward Inuyasha and picked up of two of the bags while Inuyasha took the other two. They decided to walk back to the cabin, seeing as it was a nice day and the cabin was fairly close by.

"So Inuyasha, what do you want to do when we get back to the cabin?" She asked, with a smile on her face. "We have two weeks here. I'd sort of like to explore the mountains and forest. I've heard they're really beautiful this time of year."

"Sure, whatever you want to do. But I'm getting hungry…" He complained.

"Inuyasha, you're such a-"

"Kagome-chan!" The high pitched voice, of someone quite familiar, interrupted from behind the couple.

"Yuka-chan?" Kagome exclaimed in surprise, turning to face the girl.. Inuyasha stood staring, as the two girls hugged, resisting the urge to cover his ears.

_How can she have such a high pitched voice?_

"What are you doing here? I thought you were just joking when you said that!"  
"You've known me since forever and you thought I would actually leave you up here all alone when you were feeling so down?" She asked smiling. "I'm staying with my aunt for the holidays."

Kagome shook her head and laughed. She waited a moment as Yuka's gaze found Inuyasha. Her eyes widened and she stuttered, "Kagome is… are you… Kagome!"

"Inuyasha this is Yuka, Yuka this is Inuyasha." Kagome said, quickly introducing them.

Then she grabbed an ogling Yuka and told Inuyasha, "Wait here, we'll be back soon. We're just going to the washroom."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and nodded. He took Kagome's bags and the two girls walked off. He looked around and found a bench. He placed the bags on it and sat down, awaiting the girls return, whilst his stomach growled hungrily.

------

"Oh, Kami-sama!" Exclaimed Yuka.

"Shhhh.." Kagome said, blushing a bit.  
"So, that's Inuyasha, huh… So what happened? I thought, you know, you hated him and never wanted to see him again. And what's he doing here, anyway? What did he say? Give me details." Yuka demanded.

Kagome relayed what had happened on the train and sort of trailed off when she got to what had happened at the cabin.

"Aw, that is so sweet! After everything you'd told me about him, I never thought he would apologize. He seemed so egotistical." Yuka said.

"Oh, he's egotistical alright." Kagome told her, laughing, "But I guess he really does have a kind heart. And after all Kikyo just wanted him to be happy and so he did his best. I guess he'll always love her and there's nothing I can do about. But I'm ok with that, because I know… I know that he loves me too, and that we're meant to be. I know that I can never break that bond and I don't want to try. I just want to make the bond between **us** stronger." Realizing that she had just poured her heart out, she became a tad self-conscious and began to blush.  
"Oh Kagome! You're in love!" Yuka observed, giggling. She hugged her friend tightly. When she pulled away she added in a whisper, "Now I understand why you turned down Hojo so much, though. Inuyasha is g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s! Gorgeous! He has a killer body! And you two make such a cute couple!"

The two girls giggled, and Kagome blushed even redder. When they had stopped laughing Yuka said she had one more question.

"So, what happened when you got to the cabin?"

_I was afraid she'd ask that… _Kagome thought, awkwardly.

"Well… I made some dinner and then… well…"

"Kagome-chan! I'm your best friend, you can tell me!" Yuka whined, giving Kagome a puppy-dog face.

And Kagome told her about her wonderful night, discluding one, er, certain part. She did have a right to _some _privacy.  
"Kagome-chan!" Yuka yelled happily. She grabbed her friend and danced around the small bathroom.

"Yuka-chan, stop! I'm getting dizzy!" Kagome

"Gomen, gomen! I just got a little carried away." She sighed, and her eyes took on a far away look. She snapped out of it and asked, "So what do you plan on doing for the rest of the break?"

"Well, I don't know. I guess we'll just stay here. I want to go up into the mountains. But other than that, we don't really have plans."  
"What about Christmas?" Yuka asked, astounded.

"Hmm… Well I wasn't really planning on doing anything but… You could come over if you'd and we could have decorate the house! It would be Inuyasha's first Christmas. It'd be a lot of fun!" Kagome said happily.

"Hai!" Yuka exclaimed.

This trip was turning out to be much better than Kagome had expected.

"Come on," Kagome said, "We can't leave Inuyasha out there long. Who knows what trouble he'd get into!" The two girls laughed and left the bathroom.

"So how did you get here?" Kagome asked as they walked towards Inuyasha.

"Well, I took the train this morning. I was planning on surprising you." Yuka explained. Kagome nodded.  
"Why were you out shopping anyway?" Yuka asked, curiously.

"Well, Inuyasha got on the train by sneaking in my bag." Kagome shook her head and laughed. "But that was my clothing bag. He dumped it out to make room for himself. So I had to go out and buy Inuyasha and myself new clothes. He can hardly walk around in his kimono." Yuka nodded in understanding. They spotted Inuyasha on a bench and walked towards him.

"Here I'll take two of them." Kagome told him. Inuyasha stood up and handed her two bags.

Before they began to walk, Kagome said, "Hold on a sec Yuka-chan, I need to talk to Inuyasha." Yuka nodded and Kagome pulled Inuyasha away.

"Yuka-chan is my best friend, and I told her all about Sengoku Jidai. Please try and be nice. Just do your best, for my sake? And I think once you get to know her, you'll like her!" She told him. Inuyasha nodded and smiled at her.

The three then began walking in the direction of the cabin.

"So Inuyasha," Yuka began, a sly look in her eye. " Exactly **what **are your intentions with Kagome-chan?"

"Yuka-chan!" Kagome cried embarrassed.

"Well, I need to know. I want to be sure that he isn't a weirdo or anything. I mean, I believe what you've told me Kagome, but I need to know for myself!" Yuka explained with a devilish smile. Kagome protested, her cheeks flushing cherry red, but Yuka covered her mouth with a hand  
"Intentions? What are you talking about?" Asked Inuyasha, curiously. .

"Well, what do you plan on doing with her?" Yuka stated.  
Inuyasha, being as blunt and to the point as he was, said, "Well, I was thinking, you know, we could-" But Kagome got Yuka's hand off of her mouth and shouted, "Osuwari!"

Inuyasha slammed into the ground.

Yuka burst into laughter, and people all around stared at them and passed as quickly as they could.

Kagome knelt down beside Inuyasha and apologized. "Ah, gomen Inuyasha… I just didn't think it was any of Yuka-chan's business." She mock glared at Yuka, but they burst out into laughter.

"Yeah, well next time, why don't you try just telling me to shut up." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and got up. "I swear, one day, my back is just going to give out. And then who's going to protect you, huh? Miroku's a wimp and a pervert, and Shippo is a shrimp. Well at least Sango is helpful. She's better than the other two combined."

Kagome giggled and reassured Inuyasha that she wouldn't sit him anymore. Though he hardly believed.

The three talked about various things until they reached the cabin.

Kagome hopped up the steps and put her bags down. She took out the key and unlocked the door. She held it open for Inuyasha and Yuka, then she stepped inside.

"Kagome-chan, this place brings back so many memories, you know?" Yuka said nostalgically, taking off her jacket.

"You've been here before?" Inquired Inuyasha, who had no jacket to take off. He had insisted it wasn't cold, even though there was snow on the ground. People stared at him as he walked down the snow-covered street in nothing but a t-shirt and jeans. He walked over and sat on the couch.  
"Yeah, we all used to come here as a kid. I came with friends, or with my family. It was a lot of fun." Kagome answered, unzipping her jacket.  
"Remember that time Souta nearly set the house on fire. Your mom wouldn't let him near the fireplace for ages." Yuka giggled as she remembered.

"Yeah! The poor kid still hates being around fire." Kagome replied, laughing. "Anyway, Yuka-chan, how long do you plan to stay?"

"Well, just for today, then I'll come back on Christmas. Cause like I said before, I'm staying with my aunt." Yuka explained. Then she moved towards Kagome and whispered in her ear, "Besides, I don't want to interrupt the two love birds during their private time."

Kagome shook her head and began blushing furiously, because she realized that Inuyasha had heard that too. Inuyasha stared at her and then looked at Yuka.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She yelled, her face bright red. Inuyasha began to blush too and turned away.

Yuka, realizing that Inuyasha must have a heightened sense of hearing, as he was half dog. She began to blush to but burst into laughter.

Finally, the tension in the room ceased and all three of them laughed the comment off.

Kagome walked into the kitchen and grabbed three sodas. She brought them back into the room and told Yuka to have a seat.

Kagome sat down on the couch beside Inuyasha and Yuka sat across from them in a chair. Inuyasha took a soda and opened it.

Yuka reached over and took one, sipping on it as she watched Inuyasha and Kagome.

_Wow. Look at those two. Kagome seems so much happier now... I guess Inuyasha really isn't as bad a guy I'd thought. _

_And look at him. Man, he is hot! _She giggled inwardly.

Yuka smiled happily, grateful that Kagome was feeling better.

"Inuyasha, you can take your hat off."Kagome told him.

"Good! I thought I was going to go crazy. It's so itchy."  
Inuyasha reached up to his head and pulled the wool cap off, revealing his ears. Yuka chirped in excitement.  
"I cant believe it! Wow they're real! Look at them! They're so cute! Puppy ears."  
Inuyasha groaned.

"They are not puppy ears they are DOG ears. Jeez, don't you people know the difference?"

Kagome and Yuka started to laugh. From then on things eased up. Yuka stayed and the three had dinner together.

After dinner, Yuka glanced at her watch.

"Whoa! It's getting late. Well I'd better be going." She said.

"Are you sure you're going to walk? It's pretty dark. Why don't you call a cab?" Kagome suggested.

"Nah, I'll walk. I need the fresh air." Yuka grabbed her coat and opened the door. Kagome ran over and gave her friend a hug.

"Nice meeting you Inuyasha!" She called, waving at the hanyou. "Ja ne Kagome-chan! Sayonara Inuyasha!"

Yuka walked down the steps and towards the main road.

Kagome closed the door and smiled.

* * *

I forgot to mention in the previous chapter..But I hope I got the money conversions right.. If not, please tell me and I'll fix them.

I guess I'd better know Japan's currency system...(Considering I am SO moving there when I'm older. No really, I am.)

Or Maybe I'll go with my friend, J, to Korea.. and then she can accidently "lose" me at the airport.  
I wonder what the parents would think of that? -devilish laugh- (as you've probably noticed over the past authors notes, I'm insanely obessesed with the action of laughing.. devilishly!)

Anyway, it sounds like a good plan, no:D

Anywho.

See ya next time!

**-Kellai-chan-**


	7. Chapter 7 The Best Christmas Present an...

_-Runs around the room in circle giggling hysterically-  
__Woah, sorry about that.._

_-shakes head to clear brain-_

_Yes, I am quite hyper right now! But I guess thats what happens when you stay up til three in the morning watching __all three Inuyasha movies and Spirited Away... Well I'm just getting hyped for the fourth movie! Yesh! This thursday! One day! OMG I cannot __wait! _

_-Sigh-_

_I am so tired.  
__I think I'll stay up tonight and watch Laputa, Mononoke-hime (for the millionth time.. and I'm not kidding) and Kiki's Delivery Service._

_Yes, that sounds like a good night. Lately I've been on a "Must watch Studio Ghibli films over and over" faze. Hopefully it'll pass soon __so i can get some sleep. But if now..._

_Meh. I can deal with lack of sleep so I can watch Miyizaki Hayao at his best._

_And nooooooooooow,_

_Onto the story.  
__(So dah -.-)_

Thought I should keep that AN, considering how hilariously idiotic it is. Anywho... Not too much changed in this chapter. Just fixed a lot of errors.Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 7 - The Best Christmas Present and Unexpected Guests

The next two weeks passed without much happening.

Kagome stayed in the cabin, finishing homework, or reading. Inuyasha had gone off to explore the forest most days. It was a pretty normal week for Kagome. Well, then again, normal for Kagome in the present Japan. Normal in the Sengoku Jidai was a whole different story.

Although one strange thing did occur. Kagome wasn't feeling quite right.

When she had woken up this morning, she felt very nauseous and sick. She went into the bathroom and threw up. Another odd thing was that she had missed her period. That had never happened before…

_Something must be wrong with me. _

_Am I sick? _She wondered.

But Inuyasha knew exactly what it was. Or at least, he had guessed.

He wanted to be sure so he came up with a plan.

It was Christmas eve. Inuyasha was lying on the couch, relaxing, when Kagome walked in carrying a bag. She had just come back from the doctor.

"Kagome, come here for a minute." Inuyasha commanded. Kagome looked over at him and put her bag on the table.

"What do you want?" She asked, irritably. She glared at him and put her bag on the table.

_Better be careful, she seems pissed,_ he thought.

"Come and sit with me." He pulled her down onto the couch with him, so she was sitting on his lap. He gently pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her. Kagome relaxed momentarily, closing her eyes and returned the kiss. She felt his hand gently caressed her cheek and he breathed in her scent..

_It has definitely changed… _He thought. _She must be then… _

_-Ring, ring, ring!-_

With a sigh, Kagome reluctantly pulled herself out of his grasp and walked to the phone.

"Moshi moshi." She said.

"Ah moshi moshi, is this Higurashi-san?" A voice asked.

"Hai."  
"This is Dr. Osano. I just wanted to tell you that we had your blood work tested."  
"Hai… and?" Kagome asked.

"Well, you aren't sick… But… "

Kagome rolled her eyes and asked, "Nani? There must be something wrong."

"Well, it's not something that's there's something wrong. It's just…"

"Will you just tell me?" Kagome realized how rude she was being and quickly said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that."

"It's ok. It's just an effect that you get when you're hormones kick in. Especially now. Higurashi-san, I'm happy to inform you that you are pregnant."

It took a moment to sink in. Kagome's eyes widened and she stared at the phone.

"WHAT?" She yelled, dropping it.

"Hello? Hello…?" The doctor asked.

Inuyasha nearly jumped through the roof. The sudden noise had scared him.

"KAGOME?" He called jumping over the couch to her. He grabbed her and asked "What's wrong. Are you ok?"  
Kagome was in a state of shock. She just stared, eyes wide.

She began to shake out of fear and shock. She put a hand to her mouth.

_I can't be pregnant. _

_I'm only eighteen!_

_But… But…_

_What am I going to tell my mother? Oh, Kami-sama, help me! _

_How could I let this happen?_ She wondered, scared. She felt her knees become very weak and she slid to the ground. She held her face in her hands and began to cry out of fear.

She was **not **ready to become a mother…

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked worriedly. He knelt down and shook her gently to get her attention.

"Inuyasha!" She exclaimed, snapping out of her thoughts. She grabbed him. "I-I'm p-pregnant!" She cried.

_What? How does she know? _He had planned on breaking the news later that night. Whoever she had just been talking to must of told her. Maybe it had been that doctor she had gone to visit earlier.

Inuyasha pulled her closer. She buried her head in his chest and continued crying.

"Kagome, calm down. It's ok." He rubbed her back and lead her over to the couch. He sat down and looked her in the eye.

"I-I cant believe it. I-I didn't t-think it would happen to me." She burst into more tears.

_She's sad? _He wondered. _But I thought… This was what she wanted!_

"Kagome," He said, his voice losing it's emotion. "I-I'm sorry if I made you upset, by doing this. I thought this was what you wanted."  
Kagome only cried harder, her hands covering her face.

She heard Inuyasha sigh in sadness and anger. It was then she realized, that for once, she was at fault. **She **had said the wrong thing. She had pledged her life to him, and now she was acting as if she didn't want the burden of carrying his child.

And this _was _what she wanted.

She was just in shock.

"Inuyasha, no! Oh god, I'm so sorry." She said, wiping her eyes. She looked at him, her face sympathetic and apologetic. "I shouldn't have done that…"

She hiccupped and looked away. She held her hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. Gazing up at Inuyasha, she explained, "I-I'm just scared, is all. P-Please, I want you t-to know, this is what I want. I'm just in shock."  
"Kagome…" He said, understanding. He took her hands in his. "Its ok. Thank you. Thank you so much." He said wiping her tears away with his hand. Inuyasha put his arms around Kagome and hugged her tightly, whispering, "I'll never let you go. I love you."  
Kagome buried her face in his chest, snuggling closer.

"I love you too." She whispered. She closed her eyes and relaxed, falling asleep. Inuyasha wrapped his arms protectively around her whole body, savouring the moment.

"Thank you Kagome. Thank you for giving me the family I've always needed." He murmured.

-----

_Christmas day already! _Kagome thought.

She had just awoken, wrapped tightly in Inuyasha's arms. She looked at his handsome face. Last night, she had found out she was pregnant.

_Poor Inuyasha_.

He'd thought she had rejected him, because she was crying. But she was just scared, this was what she wanted, just not so… soon.

But all her fear had washed away, replaced by joy.

She was carrying his pup.

_Pup?_ She thought at her choice of word. _Then again it could be pups, for all I know._ She smiled, being blessed with one child, would make her ecstatic, but two? She would be out of her mind with joy. Of course she was still a bit nervous and frightened but she knew that was only normal.

_We'd better start coming up with names! S_he thought gleefully.

She glanced over at the clock and saw that it read 9:30. Yuka had said she would be here around 10:30.

Kagome reluctantly pulled herself out of the warm bed. She stood and walked over to the window.

_Wow, look at those mountains. _Her eyes scanned the landscape. _They look really… familiar? But why would I remember mountains I've never been to before? _She wondered.

_Wait…I know! _She thought. _They look like the caves Kouga and the wolf tribe live in!Wow, I can't believe it. That's them… for sure._

_I wonder if any of them are still alive in this time? _She stared out the window for a few seconds longer, then walked to the door.

"Mhm… Kagome… come back to bed." Inuyasha moaned.

"I can't. I have to go get ready. Yuka-chan will be here in an hour. You should get up soon." She said; opening the door and walking out. She walked down to the second bedroom. She slipped in and got some clothes out of a bag.

Then she walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

The bathroom was a quaint room. It had a window which overlooked the forest, a very beautiful view.

She pulled the lever, which started the water flowing. She put her new clothes on a rack and took off those that she was wearing. She stepped into the warm shower.

------

Twenty minutes later, she got out of the shower and put clothes on. She put her hair in a towel to dry and walked out, toward the kitchen. She spotted Inuyasha sitting on a chair at the dining room table.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Kagome asked him as she entered the kitchen.

"Can I have ramen?" Came the reply.

"At this time of the morning?"She asked, more to herself than Inuyasha

"Yes!"

_He could live on ramen if he had too._

Kagome opened the cupboard and took out a few packages of instant ramen. Then she filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. As it was heating up she walked into the dining room, to sit with Inuyasha.

She pulled a chair out from beside him and sat down. She leaned over and rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. She closed her eyes.

"How am I supposed to tell my family?" She wondered aloud.

"Don't worry, it'll work out." He said reassuring her. Kagome sat there in thought a little while longer. Then she stood up and walked back into the kitchen. She emerged a few minutes later with the ramen cups and a pair of chopsticks..  
"Here you go." She said handing them to him. "Ok so I've already wrapped the gift I bought for Yuka-chan and I've cleaned up. The chicken is in the oven and the dressing is in the fridge. I think I've done everything. It's too bad I couldn't find the decorations." She mumbled to herself.  
"Den…umph…. com siiiiit." He said, his mouth full of ramen.

"You really do need to learn some table manners. Don't talk with your mouth full, and don't eat like it's the first time you've ever seen food. You need to slow down." she said sitting down beside him. "Yuka-chan should be here in a few minutes. In the meantime, we can start think of names!"  
"How about umph…."

Kagome shut his mouth with her hand. "No talking with your mouth full."

Inuyasha reluctantly swallowed the food and said, "How about this. If it's a boy, I can name it whatever I want. If it's a girl, you can."  
Kagome thought about the deal and said, "Sure, sounds fair to me. As long as you don't name it something stupid." She eyed him suspiciously Then there came a knocking at the door. "Ah, that'd be Yuka-chan! " She said excitedly  
She got out of her chair and walked over to the door. Opening it, she saw not only Yuka, but her mother, Souta, Hitomi, Eri, and Ayumi.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, astonished.

"You didn't think we would let you celebrate Christmas alone, did you?" Her mother said. Kagome gave her a big hug, and whispered in her ear, "I have a big surprise for you." Her mother looked at her funny, then turned away and walked into the living room to put down her gifts. Kagome realized that her friends were here, and they didn't know about Inuyasha.  
"One second everybody!" She exclaimed ,running over to the surprised hanyou. She dragged him into the kitchen and said, "I didn't know everyone was coming. You've met Eri and Ayumi before but they don't know that you're a half demon so can you put on your hat? Oh and DON'T take it off! And stay there until I come get you! I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you!"

"Damn right you will." He teased. He walked toward the bedroom and searched for his hat.

Kagome walked back into the living room and greeted Yuka.

"Yuka-chan, thanks for bringing everyone. Oh and there's something I need to tell you." Yuka nodded and stood aside.

She turned to Eri and Ayumi.

"Kagome-chan! Ohayo!" Eri and Ayumi said together.

"Ohayo!" Kagome said hugging her friends. "It's really good to see you!"

"Oh, I just cant wait any longer! I know you didn't want us to ask anymore, but, what's up with your boyfriend?" Eri asked.

"We can't take the suspense! Please tell us."  
"I will, later." She said, smiling. She then walked toward Yuka.

"Yuka-chan, in the kitchen!" She ordered. Yuka followed her friend, and they walked into the kitchen.

"So what's this news?" Yuka asked, excitedly.

"Ok, well, yesterday, I wasn't feeling so good. I threw up."

"Ah you poor thing…" Yuka sympathized.

"Thanks." She said with a smile. " So I went to the doctor, and they took a blood test, you know, just as a standard procedure. And he phoned me last night and told me that I am… I'm p-pregnant."  
"KAGOME-CHAN!" Yuka shouted happily. "I cannot believe it! Kagome-chan!"

"Please don't tell anyone. My mom doesn't even know yet."  
"Does Inuyasha know?" Yuka wondered in amazement.

"He found out last night, but I have a feeling that he already knew. Must be youkai senses. I don't know."  
"Wow! I cant believe it! Congratulations! This is so exciting!" Yuka was nearly bursting with excitement. "Kagome… You are going to be an awesome mother! That lucky kid… Going to grow up in such a loving family!"

Kagome smiled happily and led her back into the room.

"Yuka, I'll be right back. I have to go get Inuyasha from the bedroom." Yuka laughed and Kagome walked off. She opened the bedroom door and saw Inuyasha sitting on the bed.  
"Finally. Took you long enough." He complained.

"Whatever." She muttered, shaking her head, "I'm going to formally introduce you to my friends! Cause I cant remember that ever happening… Ok?"  
"Fine." He said. Kagome grabbed his hand and led him into the living room.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's mother said, surprised. "I didn't know you were here. How did you get here?"

"Long story." Said Kagome. "I'll explain later."

"Inuyasha-no-nii-chan!" Shouted an excited Souta. The little boy ran over to his hero and hugged him.

"Hey kid." Inuyasha replied. "Hi, you must be Hitomi, Souta's told me about you." Inuyasha smiled at her

"Hi." Said Hitomi. Hitomi took Souta's hand and they went over to the table to play cards.

"Kagome-chan?" Asked Eri.

"Hi…" Ayumi said to the hanyou.

_We've met this guy before at Kagome's house… What was his name? Inu something… _Eri thought.

"Eri-chan, Ayumi-chan… You've met Inuyasha before but I guess I've never really introduced you. So, now you've been introduced!" Kagome said nervously.

"Inu-yasha? Inu… That means dog right? What a strange thing to name someone..." said Ayumi.

"No… it's not weird. It's fitting."  
"Fitting? You mean to tell us that you are a dog?" asked Ayumi, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Well ye…"  
"No! Inuyasha's a big kidder!" Kagome interrupted. "He's just playing around. He's not a dog!" Kagome laughed.

Inuyasha huffed and sat on the couch.

Eri and Ayumi pressed her with more questions.

"So is this your two-timing, no good, violent, selfish boyfriend?"

"Where's he from?"

"Does he have a brother?"  
"Can I have his brother's number?"

Kagome giggled and answered all their questions at once.

"Yes, out of town, yes, and no you wouldn't want it." She giggled and told her friends that she needed to talk to Inuyasha for a moment.

"Hai…" They said disappointedly, wanting to press more questions on her. Kagome smiled at them and went over to talk to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha," she whispered. "Don't tell anyone anything about Sengoku Jidai…. or demons. Except Yuka-chan, you can talk to her. I need to go break the news to my mother."  
"Hai." he said getting up to go over to talk to Yuka. He might as well do something.

Kagome walked over to her mother, who was in the kitchen preparing lunch.

"Okaa-san?

"Hai?" She replied.

"There's, er, something I need to tell you." Kagome said nervously.

"What is it?" Her mother asked, chopping celery and throwing it into a pot of boiling water.

"I think you'd better sit down."

"Ok…" She said, curiously. _What could be so important that I need to sit down? _She wondered.

Kagome retold the story of how Inuyasha had stuck onto the train and then they came here.

"Yesterday morning, I was feeling sick and I went to the doctor. He took some blood and did a test. He phoned later that night and he told me that I am… That I am pregnant." She exhaled loudly as her mother comprehended what she had said.

"K-Kagome? Your p-pregnant? Oh dear…" She said as she fainted. Kagome was able to catch her just in the nick of time.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted. "Yuka-chan! GET IN HERE!" Inuyasha and Yuka rushed in and saw her mother on the floor.

"I just told her and she fainted." Inuyasha started to laugh.

"Well that's a better reaction then I expected." He chuckled.

Yuka smiled and said, "We should try and wake her up." She grabbed a cloth from the cupboard and wet it. She handed it to Kagome, who wiped her mother's forehead gently. Finally, her eyes began to flutter open.

"Ka-go-me?" Her mother asked.

"Hai?"

"Your not having puppies, are you?"  
Inuyasha, Yuka, and Kagome all burst out into laughter.

"No Mama! I'm not having puppies." She said, giggling.

Kagome's mother sighed, and smiled. "That's good." She said.

She pushed herself up and laughed at her own stupidity. "Sorry. Puppies? What was I thinking?" She dizzily stood up and grasped Kagome for balance.

"But where will you live?" Asked her mother. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. They hadn't really discussed any of this yet.

"I guess we will live in the other era. But we would come here too. Now that everything is over, demons will be after the jewel. We could live in Kaede's village and she could teach me how to purify the jewel. We would visit all the time."  
"But what about the child? How could they get through?" she wondered.

Inuyasha put his arm around Kagome's shoulder and said., "Since both Kagome and I can get through the well, the kid would for sure be able to."

"Well, congratulations! You'll be a great mother!" Ms Higurashi told her daughter. "I just cant believe how fast you've grown up." She smiled and said, "Well, with that settled, why don't we go hand out gifts?"  
Kagome nodded and the four walked out to the living room.

"Time to open gifts!" Exclaimed Yuka. Souta and Hitomi cheered.

Yuka handed four gifts to Kagome, one from her mother, one from Souta, one from Yuka, and one from Eri and Ayumi. She handed out the rest of the gifts to everybody.

"Mama, I'm sorry. I didn't get you anything, because I didn't know you were coming. Same with you guys." She said motioning to Eri and Ayumi.

"It's ok. I already got my gift." Her mother smiled broadly, thinking about having a grandchild.

"Kagome-chan! Open your gift from me!" Yuka said. Kagome searched through the gifts for the one from Yuka.

She tore the wrapping paper off and found a box. She pried the box open and saw a case. It was studded with jewels, it was very beautiful. Kagome carefully lifted it out of the box.  
"Yuka-chan… I-I don't know what to say. It's so beautiful."

Yuka moved toward her and whispered in her ear, "It's to keep the jewel in." Kagome's eyes widened and she smiled.

"Thank you so much Yuka-chan."

Kagome opened her mother's gift and found a new bow. It was made of the finest wood. Attached to the side was a quiver made of a light metal. It had 30 arrows, packed in.

"Kagome-chan?" Asked Eri, curiously.

"You like archery?" Added Ayumi.

"Well I guess you could say that." She replied, then she turned to her mother and said, "Thank you so much, mama. This will be really helpful."  
"Why don't you go try it out after?" She asked.

"Of course!" Kagome said excitedly. Kagome then opened Souta's gift and found a gift certificate for a grocery store.

"Otouto…?" She asked curiously.

"It's to pay for all the ramen." He replied simply. Inuyasha's smile widened.

"Arigato Souta." He said happily. Kagome and Yuka laughed.

"Open ours!" Chimed Eri and Ayumi.

"Hai!" Kagome replied, tearing off the wrapping paper. She found a small ring box.

She opened it up and saw a gold diamond studded necklace. Kagome's looked at it stunned, it was a necklace that had the words "Friends Forever" hanging from a chain.  
"Wow… Eri-chan… Ayumi-chan… I-I don't know what to say. Arigato." She said in wonder.

"Your welcome." Said Eri, happy to see she liked it.

"Put it on!" Exclaimed Ayumi.

Kagome gently took it out of the box and released the hook. She put it behind her head, and blindly tried to put it on.

Inuyasha, sensing her trouble said, "Here, let me help."

He pushed her hair aside and took the necklace from her hands. He hooked it together and said, "There you go."  
Meanwhile Eri and Ayumi were giving each other nervous glances. This couldn't be the two-timing, no good, violent, selfish boyfriend. Every time they had met him, he had always acted kind towards her.

_Just look at the way he looks at her, _Ayumi thought.

_They are definitely in love,_ Eri thought, blissfully .

But what about his strange name? Inu-yasha?

And why was he wearing a hat inside.

And why was Kagome so secretive all of a sudden?

So many questions…

------

After everyone else had opened their gifts, Eri asked, "Kagome-chan, how could you have learned archery when you were sick and in the hospital so much?"

"Well, uh…."  
"Haw-spi-tall? Sick?" Inuyasha wondered, a confused look on his face.

Kagome leaned over and quickly said, "Er.. I'll tell you what a hospital is later. But we say I'm sick when I go to the feudal era." Inuyasha nodded in understanding.

"Well, you know. It was for rehabilitation." She lied.

"Oh…"

"So why don't you go try it out. I want to see how good you are!" Ayumi exclaimed.

"Ha! She couldn't hit the broad side of a barn." Inuyasha teased.  
"Inuyasha! My aim is much better than before! You know that. I was the one who sent that arrow of purifi-…. Oi! Er, never mind." She mumbled. Eri and Ayumi gave her strange looks.

Kagome grabbed her new bow and quiver and opened the door. She slipped on her shoes and a sweater and went outside. Everybody followed her out and watched as she readied the bow.

"I need something to aim for!" She yelled.

From the porch Eri called, "Aim for the bird feeder on that tree."

"Ok." She replied. She concentrated on it and let the arrow fly. Light burst from it as it zoomed through the sky.

_No! _She thought._ It turned into a sacred arrow! But how…? I didn't use any power!_

"Wow! Nice aim!" Yelled Eri and Ayumi. Yuka stood dumbfounded. _She really does have deadly aim, _She thought.

_What! They couldn't see it? They couldn't see the light? _Kagome wondered, feeling slightly dazed. She stood still for a moment, sensing something was wrong.

Then she collapsed. the bow and quiver falling from her grasp.

As she lay on the ground, unable to move, she could sense something. It was a very powerful force. But all of the energy had drained from her and she was unable to concentrate.

"Kagome!" Shouted Inuyasha, running to her side. He knelt down and gently held her. "What's wrong?"  
"KAGOME-CHAN!" Shouted Eri, Ayumi and Yuka. They ran towards her, confused and scared by what had just happened

"Nee-chan!" Yelled Souta, as he, Hitomi, and his mother ran towards her.

"I used to much power..." She whispered to him. "I'm just tired."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, cradling her head in his lap. "Why would you do that?" Her friends and family stood around her asking if she was alright.

"I'm fine." She said, feeling slightly better. Inuyasha helped her to stand and she quivered for a moment. She put her arm around Inuyasha's shoulder for support and held her tight. "I must have uh… I don't… I'm just tired." Then she passed out, falling into Inuyasha arms.

"Kagome-chan?" Eri asked worriedly.

"Yuka, come with me, I have a bad feeling." Inuyasha called, as he picked up Kagome, bridal style.

"Bad feeling? Inuyasha-san, what are you talking about?" Ayumi called after him. Inuyasha ignored her question and quickly walked back to the house. The group followed, not far behind, all worried about Kagome's sudden bad health. She had seemed perfectly fine minutes before…

"Inuyasha? What is it?" Asked Yuka.

"I don't think she could have used that much power at will. What you just witnessed was her miko powers-"

"What? I didn't see anything. I just saw her shoot an arrow…" Yuka told him, confused.

Inuyasha stared at her, surprised that she didn't see the white light. He had seen it, clearly as ever.

"Maybe… It's possible that people in your era are oblivious to demons and magic, seeing as they consider those things non-existent, that you are unable to see it." He explained. Inuyasha decided that was a good enough reason for now. They would have time to worry about such things later. Right now he needed to concentrate on finding out why Kagome had used so much power.

"Ok so as I was saying, what you witnessed, or rather what you didn't, was her miko powers at work. The only times she's ever used that much power is when there has great danger around, like Naraku."  
"But she was aiming for a bird feeder. What danger could that possess?"

Yuka opened the door for him and they walked toward the bedroom.

"I don't think it had anything to do with where she was aiming. I think she may have sensed some sort of evil and accidentally used that power. But still, what kind of demons would be in this era?"

"I don't know. I just… How are we going to explain this?" Yuka wondered.

"I don't…I-I don't know. But we just need to let her rest."

Inuyasha laid Kagome down and the bed and covered her with a blanket. He took Yuka out of the room and shut the door. Five confused faces looked at them, asking questions.

"Ms Higurashi and Souta come with me. Hitomi and you two go with Yuka into the living room." The group split up and Inuyasha walked into the spare bedroom.

"Inuyasha, what happened?" Her mother asked. He told them of his suspicions.

"So what are you gonna do?" asked Souta.

"Well, I have to find out what it is. There's no way I'm letting anything harm Kagome. Especially now."

"Why… what's so special bout now?" asked Souta, confused.

"He doesn't know." Said Ms Higurashi.

"Oh... You tell him and I'm going to go to see Yuka."  
"Hai…" she said, watching Inuyasha leave the room.

_I am not letting anything hurt Kagome. I need to find out what this is. It must be some sort of a demon after the jewel._

"Yuka," Inuyasha said, "Take everyone home, away from here. It's not safe to stay here any longer."

"Not safe?" Asked Eri.

"Nani?" Added Ayumi.

"Come on, everyone in the car! Now!" shouted Yuka, trying to gain some control over the situation.

"It's too late." Said Inuyasha, a look of fear on his face. Everyone stopped and stared at him. "It's here."

* * *

**-Gasp-**

What... Or rather who could this mysterious being be!  
Wait a second... I'm reposting again so you guys probably already know..

Ah poo.  
That ruins my fun.. ;.; Dangit!

Oh well! XD  
It ruins the surprise for you to XP

So ha!

Nah, nah, I'm just joking XD.  
I love ya guys! You're my faithful readers! You people are da best!

Well I'd better get going!See ya in the next chapter!

**-Kellai-chan-**


	8. Chapter 8 Naraku!

Hello again.

Sengoku-goku-goku-go-tsu-bu-tsu-bu-tsu-bushi-o-togi-togi-togi-mui-de-doki-doki

XD lmao. that was that thing they had to say on the fourth drama CD for inuyasha. A tongue twister to open a door of some sort  
or something.. Hilarious. Especially when Kikyo said it.. I will never forget Kappei Yamaguchi saying that and being so excited about it.  
That dude has an AMAZING voice. One of my favourite seiyu ever...

So anyway, I LOOOVE this chapter. I am SOOO happy with what I did to it.. Honestly.. Well read on and see my changes.

* * *

_"Yuka," Inuyasha said, "Take everyone home, away from here. It's not safe to stay here any longer."_

_"Not safe?" Asked Eri._

_"Nani?" Added Ayumi._

_"Come on, everyone in the car! Now!" shouted Yuka. _

_"It's too late." Said Inuyasha. Everyone stopped and looked at him. "It's here."_

Chapter 8 - Naraku

"NANI? What's here?" Cried Yuka, eyes wide in fear.

"Wake Kagome and get everyone out the back. But whatever you do, DO NOT let Kagome come out front. Got it?"  
"Hai…" She said, looking hesitantly.

"Go! NOW!" He yelled. Yuka reluctantly turned and ran out of sight, into the bedroom.

"You…" He said, pointing to Eri, "Go into the first room on the left and you'll find a sword in the back corner, near the window. Bring it to me."

"Oh… ok." She said running to the room, without thinking about the question.

"What should we do?" Asked Hitomi.

"Go get Kagome's mother and Souta and round everyone up. Get them in the living room." He commanded.

"Right." Said Ayumi, taking Hitomi by the hand and running into the hallway.

------

Inuyasha, with his head high, sniffed the air.

_That scent, I recognize it,_ he thought. _But how…That's not possible…._

"Here's the sword." Eri said. handing him the battered Tetsusaiga. She gave him a strange look.

_Why was he sniffing the air?_ She wondered. _And why… Does he want a sword? This isn't a typical kendo one…_

Inuyasha snatched it from the human girl's hands and ran to the door. He threw it open and ran into the front yard.

He heart was beating wildly as his suspicions were confirmed. The scent was so strong he would have to be stupid not to recognize it.

"Come out here, NARAKU!" Inuyasha roared, transforming Tetsusaiga.

"I'm surprised you're senses did not fail you." Said a voice, from which the owner could not be found, "After all, you are only a worthless **_hanyou_**."  
"I wouldn't be talking, Naraku." Inuyasha growled, hatred boiling within him.

"Where's your human wench?" Naraku taunted.

"Shut your mouth! Come out here and fight me, you bastard! Or are you to weak without your precious jewel?"

------

Inside, the house was in a frenzy. Everyone was shouting and running around in confusion.

Kagome had awoken and was sprinting to the door, when Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka grabbed her arms, holding her back.

"Stop, Kagome-chan!" Eri warned.

"You can't go out there. It's dangerous!" Ayumi pleaded, anxiously.

"I have to. You don't understand! I can't leave Inuyasha out there alone." She hollered, trying to free her arms. "He needs my help…" Whatever was outside, she needed to be there to help fight it.

"No. You are not going out there." Said Ayumi, tightening her grip. "He told us not to let you outside!"

"LET ME GO!" She screamed, twisting her arms out of their hold. She wasted no time in running outside.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called, hearing her scream and the door open.

"Inuyasha!" She cried, latching onto his shoulder.

"What are you doing out here? Go back inside!"

"Well, look at that. So the prophecy is true. The little miko is going to have a child." Naraku commented.

"NARAKU?" She yelled in fright, squeezing Inuyasha's shoulder. He put an arm around her and pulled her closer.

"I can take care of myself." She whispered in his ear. "Don't worry about me." She looked up at him, her eyes telling him she felt confident in her strength. She slowly bent down to pick up her bow and quiver.

"Keep in mind, you're not only protecting your life anymore. You have the baby to look after." He said softly.

"I hate to ruin the moment," Naraku remarked, sarcastically. "But there is the matter of you and my..."

"W-why are you still alive?" Kagome interrupted, boldly. "You died, we all s-saw you."

"Appearances can be deceiving."  
"But w-we have the jewel. Why would you pretend to die and not take the jewel?" Kagome shouted to the forest, behind her back she strung an arrow to her bow. Her hands were shaking so badly she was having hard time doing it.

"I never said that I pretended to die, human. I was injured, badly. So badly I was too weak to hold the jewel. The aura surrounding it was to powerful for me to penetrate at the time-"

"Wait!" Kagome interrupted again. "What about... The baby? And your other incarnations! Are they still alive?"

"That is none of your business. All you must know is I am back to reclaim the jewel. My jewel." He yelled triumphantly. "Hand it over, girl. Or I will have to kill you and the child."

"SHUT UP! Don't you talk to her like that" Screamed Inuyasha, his rage building. "GET OUT HERE AND FIGHT ME, YOU COWARD!"

Kagome's hands swung around and she shot her arrow into the forest.

"Pathetic human. You are nothing compared to Kikyo. I cannot begin to comprehend what that _hanyou_ sees in you." Naraku smiled inwardly. That comment was sure to spark feelings within the girl that could make his task slightly easier.

Kagome knelt down, dropping her bow and quiver to the ground and began to cry. She held her head in her hands Her body shook with each sob.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked her, kneeling down. "What's wrong?"

She stared at him with blank eyes. _Why does everything always come down me being compared with Kikyo? _

Inuyasha suddenly realized what was wrong.

"Kagome," He said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's ok… Don't listen to him. Do you really care what he says? You are your own person. You have your own talents and abilities. Let that bastard say what he wants. It doesn't change my feelings for you."

Kagome smiled and wiped her tears away.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She stood up, her legs a little shaky. She grabbed her bow and quiver and the two stared into the forest for a minute.

Naraku watched the scene with interest. It would appear Inuyasha no longer held the feelings of desperate love for Kikyo that he once had. The bond between Inuyasha and the girl had strengthened more than he had anticipated. But he would not allow it to interfere with his plan to break the girl's spirit and possess the jewel once more.

As Kagome stood there, something snapped, and she returned to her naturally defiant and confident self.

She called out, "Naraku! Get out here! I will kill you myself!" She took a quick breath and began yelling. "I am so sick of you! You and your cocky attitude! You are a disgusting, despicable being. You do not deserve to be alive! You tricked Inuyasha and Kikyo into hating each other, you destroyed Sango-chan's family and hurt Kohaku-kun. You cursed Miroku-sama! You've killed hundreds, no thousands of people! You've destroyed families and brought only destruction and death to the world. God knows what other unspeakable horrors you've committed And for what? This stupid jewel!" She yanked it out from underneath her shirt. "You are a selfish, horrible, awful person. YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I **HATE **YOU!"

She put a hand over her mouth and stared in shock.

She could not believe she had just said that. Four years of hatred had just erupted from her.

Inuyasha looked at her in surprise. He had never seen Kagome this angry before. She had never shown hatred towards anyone and actually _meant _it.

Naraku seemed slightly surprised at the outburst, but it did not change his opinion of the girl. If anything, it strengthened his desire for her. He would take much pleasure in breaking that defiant spirit of hers. He began to smirk as he thought of his plan.

He had things planned for Kagome that would destroy Inuyasha in ways the hanyou couldn't even begin grasp. Though for now, he would return to the feudal age, and wait just a little longer to set his main plan into action.

"Well, it is no use, I shall return later. For the jewel and the your lives."

The forest went silent and Naraku was gone.

"He's gone." Inuyasha said, angrily. "I let him escape again!"

"H-How could he have gotten here?" She whispered, shaken from the event. She looked at Inuyasha, her eyes showing fear and worry. She put a hand on her stomach, and leaned against him. He could feel her shaking and did his best to console her.

"Kagome-chan!" shouted Eri. Inuyasha moaned and Kagome led him back towards the cabin.

"I don't know." He said to her, swinging Tetsusaiga, turning it back into its original form.

"W-We cant s-stay h-here. I can't p-put my f-friends lives in d-danger." She said, looking up at them on the porch.

"How did I let him get away _again_? Damn that bastard."Inuyasha cursed.

"Kagome-chan!" Yuka shouted running down to meet her. "Are you ok?"

She brushed the tears from her eyes and shook her head. "We're not safe. We have to leave! Go get everyone ready."

"Hai..." She said, quickly hugging her friend. She let go and ran inside.

"Wait a sec… Kagome, when you ran out Naraku said something. Do you remember what it was?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome thought for a moment and then replied, "He said something about a prophecy. Yeah, and that it was true. What do you think he meant?"

"I don't know, I think we should go talk to Kaede. Maybe she will know." Inuyasha suggested.

"Hai…" She said, her eyes filling with tears again. She was on the brink of a mental breakdown. When it had finally seemed as if everything was alright, again something had happened that threw spiralling down towards sadness.

"It's going to be ok. Don't worry." He said, hugging her. "I wont let anything happen to you or the baby. No matter what."

Kagome heard the door open and her mother rushed outside, followed by everyone else.

"Kagome what happened?" Her mother asked, worriedly.

The tears spilled from her eyes and onto Inuyasha's haori. She turned to face her family and friends and said, "I c-can't…. Never mind… You won't understand. It doesn't… matter…"

"But Kagome-chan!" groaned Eri.

"We need to know!" said Souta.

"Drop it guys!" ordered Yuka.

"Kagome, we're going home. Everyone in the car. Eri, call a taxi please?" Asked Kagome's mother. "I don't know what happened, but I will not let you be harmed."

_------_

Half an hour later the group arrived at the Higurashi shrine.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Yuka and Ms Higurashi were sitting at the kitchen table.

Eri and Ayumi had been dropped off. Kagome had made an excuse about what had happened. The two hadn't seemed very convinced, but that didn't matter. Souta and Hitomi were over at a friends house.

The spirit of Christmas had long since been forgotten. All at the Higurashi kitchen table sported faces with worried or scared expressions. Inuyasha and Kagome had just finished explaining, in great detail, about Naraku and everything he had done.

"If what Naraku said is true, then any of his reincarnations, may still be alive." Said Inuyasha.

"I don't think so. There wasn't any way we could have killed him after he separated from his human heart… Kagura told us he had merged back with it again... We know that she is still alive… Or she was the last time we saw her. As for his other incarnations, we know Hakudoushi to be dead. But Kanna…I have no clue." Kagome told them.

"True. But they were connected to Naraku by his heart, so they are probably still alive. We need to be cautious. Just in case."Inuyasha advised.

"I think you two should head back to Sengoku Jidai… Maybe you could find some answers there." Yuka suggested.  
"I agree, but please be careful Kagome." Her mother added.  
"I will, thank you for all your help." Kagome said, pushing the chair out and getting up. "Let's go Inuyasha."

"Already?" He said, surprised.  
"We need to hurry! Naraku could strike at anytime." Kagome was obviously stressed. Her face was tired and worn and she looked as if she was ready to collapse any minute.  
"But what if he attacks here?" Inuyasha asked.

"I have the feeling he will follow me. I have the jewel and I think all of this might have something to do with our child."

"Hai… I think you're right." Inuyasha said. "Go grab whatever you need."

Kagome nodded and walked up the stairs to her room. She stopped at the top of the steps and listened in.

"Inuyasha, you know that she'll have to come back soon. As soon as she starts showing, she'll have to return. She can't be under that kind of stress while she's pregnant." Kagome heard her mother say.

"I know, I'll have to fight on my own. I'll bring her back after a month or so. We just need to lure Naraku and then I'll get him. I can do it. I can do anything to protect her."

"Inuyasha, please be careful. I don't want the child to grow up without a father. It needs you back just as much as Kagome-chan does." Yuka warned.

"Hai… I just cant believe we let him get away. I thought we had him. That bastard!" Inuyasha said through clenched teeth. "I'll kill him, if it's the last thing I do."  
"Don't let it be the last thing, Inuyasha." Kagome's mother warned.

Kagome leaned against the wall, as tears came to eyes.

_I can't leave him! I won't! _She thought hurriedly. _I don't know what I would do if I lost him. I couldn't go on living._

She hurried to her room and packed her bag. She grabbed some medical stuff as well as her new bow and quiver, and some clothes. She closed the bag and slipped the strap over her shoulder. She left her room and hurried down the stairs. She stopped a few steps from the bottom and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

She took a breath and stepped into the kitchen.

"You ready?" Inuyasha asked, looking at her.

"Yes. Let's go." She said. "Goodbye Mama."

"Oh, Kagome. Please be careful!" Her mother said, pulling her into a hug. She let go and Kagome walked over to Yuka.

"Thank you so much, Yuka-chan."

"Kagome-chan, be careful!" Yuka advised.  
"Don't worry Yuka-chan. I'll be fine!" She looked down.

Yuka reached out and touched her chin, pulling her head upwards.

She stared into Kagome's eyes and whispered, "Your greatest weakness is your fear. Believe in yourself and the impossible will become possible." She gave her a reassuring smile and nudged her toward the waiting hanyou.

Kagome stumbled towards Inuyasha, trying to take in Yuka's words.

_Where had those come from?_ She wondered. Yuka seemed to have grown up very quick in the past year.

She had gone from immature and jumpy to mature and supportive.

_Maybe I'm not the only one who has matured . Spending all my time in Sengoku Jidai, I must have become more out of touch with my friends here. _She was struck with a pang of sadness at this thought.

"We had really better get going!" Inuyasha pressed. Kagome nodded and looked at her mother.

"Goodbye dear! Don't work yourself to hard!" Her mother advised. Yuka nodded in agreement.

"Sayonara Yuka-chan! Sayonara mama! I love you!" She said, biting her lip. They had a long journey ahead of them.

Inuyasha took her hand and they walked out the back door toward the well. Yuka and Ms Higurashi followed them out, but stopped outside the well house door.

Kagome pushed it open and thought of the last time she had been here.

Things had been so different, yet the same, then.

It seemed her life had taken a turn for the worse. She had been at an all time low. And suddenly everything had changed. Inuyasha had given himself to her, as had she had to him. They were finally together.

It was funny the way things worked out.

But once again, her life had taken a turn for the worse. Naraku was back and now she had more than one life to protect. She sighed and tried to ready herself as best she could for what would be the fight for her life.

"Ready?" Inuyasha asked.

He made to pick her up, but she felt something gently push her from behind. She stumbled for a moment and looked around.

"What?" Inuyasha questioned, worriedly. "What is it?"

Seeing nothing, she assumed she had imagined it. She told him it was nothing and she was ready to go.

He picked her up, bridal style. He jumped into the well and they were surrounded by the blue mists that were the place between times. The tunnel, it could be called. The place in which time was nothing and had no meaning.

She felt a slight thud as they landed at the bottom of the well, now in feudal Japan. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against Inuyasha's chest, as they soared into the air above the well.

He landed as gently as possible and remained silent. Finally he said, "What the hell?"

Kagome opened her eyes and looked around.

"Oh my god…." She whispered.

The forest was, well, no longer a forest. All of the trees were either gone completely or were burning stumps. The grass was charred and singed and there were missing chunks in the ground. It was a wasteland. No… A battle field.

"What happened here?" She asked in wonder.

"It's got Naraku's scent all over. He was here, and not long ago."

"We gotta get to the village!" She insisted.

"Hai…" He send leaping into the air. Kagome grabbed onto his haori and snuggled into his chest, too frightened to see what had become of the village.

"Not here too!" He growled.

She opened her eyes reluctantly and saw burning houses and rubble covering the ground. She could see bodies of the villagers strewn through out the rubble. Smoke coated the air.

"How could this happen?" She asked, her voice choking. She could smell fire and burning flesh. It was a disgusting scent. Inuyasha let her down and she walked around, looking at the massacre.

He put his arm over his face, his sense of smell so powerful that the smell was even worse for himself. Kagome plugged her nose and made of a face of disgust.

"We better find Kaede." Inuyasha instructed. Kagome's eyes widened in fear, as she thought of the elderly priestess.

"Kaede-obaa-chan!" She called. "Kaede-obaa-chan! Where are you?"

She waited, listening for a reply. Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard a sound.

"Over there!" He yelled, running towards the ruins of a hut.

Kagome followed quickly after him.

He stopped in front of a fallen tree. Bending down, he pushed aside burned leaves and pebbles.

"Kaede-babaa! What happened?"  
Kagome knelt down and saw the pained face of Lady Kaede. The old woman was covered in bruises and cuts. There was a particularly deep gash that ran from her shoulder down to her stomach. Blood soaked her clothing and had dripped into a puddle on the ground. Kagome could see that she was having a hard time breathing.

"Kaede-obaa-chan!" Kagome cried. She quickly began taking bandages from her bag but the old priestess stopped her.

"M-my time in this world…Is over. Do not bother… T-there is n-nothing you can do." She whispered, her voice hoarse.

"How did this happen?" Inuyasha asked.

"I-It was Naraku… He came here.. a-and demanded I g-give him the scroll." She explained, the sound little more than a whisper.

'Scroll? What scroll?" Kagome questioned.

"The… Ah!" She cried in pain. "T-the last remaining c-copy of…Ah!… containing the p-prophecy about.. Oh!… But I-I didn't have it. I g-gave it to…" Her eyes began to flutter.

"Inuyasha do something!" Kagome cried.

'Kaede…" He said nudging her shoulder. "Please, you must finish."

She tiredly opened her eyes and looked at Kagome. When she began to talk her voice was dry and raspy.

"You m-must find Sango and houshi-dono. They…" She began to cough. "T-They have t-the information you seek."

"Kaede-obaa-chan" Kagome snivelled. "Please, try and hold on. We'll get you help!"

"I-It is no use... I-I am only sorry I d-did not have time enough to explain…Ah!… the prophecy to you…" She coughed a few more times and closed her eyes.

"Kaede!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kaede opened her eyes one last time and whispered, "You have my congratulations on the child."

"A-arigato…" Kagome managed to say.

_She's taught me so much, and now…now she's gone forever. All because of Naraku! How can one person be so evil? _She felt the tears stinging her eyes.

"Oh… Inuyasha!" She sobbed, pushing herself into his arms.

"Shhhh…. It's ok." He rubbed her back while looking over at Kaede's pale face.

_I will get this bastard no matter what it takes. I owe you that much, Kaede. _

"How could he do such a thing?" Kagome mumbled. "It just isn't fair…"

"We'll n-need to give the villagers a proper burial." Inuyasha told her. It was only right..

"Hai." She replied, taking her head off of Inuyasha's shoulder

Kagome put her backpack on the ground and rubbed her eyes. It was all so horrible. She looked around for something that could be used as a shovel. She poked through the rubble until she came upon an actual shovel. She took it over to a spot, left of the village and began digging.

Inuyasha took the time to search through the remains of the village for bodies.

And so they spent most of the afternoon burying familiar faces. People Kagome had conversed with on many occasions.

Children, innocent children, with whom Shippo had shared his games and tricks with.

How could anyone want to cause so much pain?

After everyone they had found had been buried and properly laid to rest, Kagome suggested they use the remaining daylight to search for their friends.

"That'd probably be a good idea." Inuyasha decided.

With one last look at the village, Kagome picked up her yellow backpack and got on Inuyasha's back. She closed her eyes, not wanting to view the area anymore. She felt more tears stinging in her eyes. She would never see Kaede-obaa-chan again. She would never see any of the villagers again.

Naraku had showed that he was capable of terrifying things. So what horrors could the future possibly hold?

Kagome held in the feeling of great sadness and turned her mind to the issue at hand.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" She half yelled over the roaring wind.

"I'm following their scents!" He replied.

Content with his answer she closed her eyes and relaxed enough to fall asleep. She couldn't bare to think about these things anymore. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and saw Kagome fast asleep.

_She could sleep anywhere! _He thought comically. He landed with a thud and bent down trying to pick up Sango, Miroku, Kirara, or Shippo's scent.

The wind picked up around him and he could faintly smell Sango.

_Yep, that's definitely her!_  
"SANGO!" He shouted. He waited for a reply, but heard none. The scent was so faint he couldn't tell what direction it had come from. Jumping into the air, he hoped he could get a better view of the area.

Suddenly Sango's scent was coming closer. And so was everyone else's! He looked around quickly and saw the faint outline of Kirara in the distance. He glided to the ground and began running in their direction.

Soon he was underneath them. He looked up and saw they were landing. Kirara must have heard him with her youkai senses and brought them all here.

"Kagome, Kagome! Wake up!" Inuyasha whispered, pulling her off his back and into his arms.

"Uhn.. Where am I ?" She asked, groggily.

"Kagome-chan! Inuyasha!" Sango shouted.

"What?" A confused Kagome looked up and was ecstatic to see Sango and the others flying on Kirara toward her. "Sango-chan! Miroku-sama! Shippo-chan!"

Kirara landed gently beside Inuyasha and Kagome. Sango jumped off the fire cat's back and ran to the couple.

Inuyasha let go of Kagome and the girl ran to hug Sango. Miroku hopped off and walked to Inuyasha. Shippo got off and nearly hurled himself at Kagome. He hugged her fiercely telling her how much he'd missed her.

"I've missed you too!" She said, hugging him back.

"Kagome-sama, we have important news!" Miroku informed her.

"Hai, I know. But first I have to tell you about what's happened!" She said, happily looking at Inuyasha. She smiled at him and turned back to the others. "But first we should set up camp."

The group quickly got to work, all of them eager to hear Inuyasha and Kagome's tale.

* * *

And so the plot thickens...

Well I hope you like what I did with Kagome's character.. I felt that she needed an outburst.. Not ONCE in the manga or anime did she ever swear or get INCREDIBLY angry (as Inuyasha often does) and I felt after all that happened to her and her friends.. SHe needed to vent the anger at the man who had  
caused it. For any normal person who went through what she had.. it would have happened long ago... )

I also gave Naraku a personality. Now he has depth and is a real character in my story. Yay. We'll be seeing a lot more of him soon.. heh heh heh : D

See you next chapter!

-**Kellai-chan-**


	9. Chapter 9 Thoughts of a Demon

Well, I hope that I got Naraku's character right... He's mostly seen as a hatefilled, evil dude so I didnt have much to work from.  
I think his greater influence and appearances in the story will do it good. We needed more of him... Just wait til you guy see what's  
going to happen in later chapters... heh heh heh.

Oh and I know this chapter isnt directly centered around the part with Naraku, so the title is slightly off. But that doesnt matter  
much.

Anywho. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 9 - Thoughts of a Demon

"Kagome, tell us!" Shippo whined.

"Well, I'm afraid that along with the good news, comes some bad news." Kagome stated. "I'll tell you the bad news first…" She took in a deep breath. She felt her hands quivering slightly and held them together. She just couldn't bring herself to say it..

Sango moved over to her and asked, "Kagome-chan?"

"Naraku is alive." Inuyasha said.

Sango's eyes widened and involuntarily grabbed Miroku's arm. Shippo darted to Kagome, hiding under her hair. The only one who expression remained calm was Miroku.

Kagome noticed this and asked, "Miroku-sama, why don't you seemed surprised?"  
"I-I didn't want to say anything, until we were all together again, but the wind tunnel has returned to my hand." He held his arm out looking at it. "I figured it had to have something to do with Naraku. I guessed he had been revived and I guess with his revival comes my curse."

"Houshi-sama!" Sango cried. Miroku smiled sadly, his hand holding Sango's.

"But who could do something like this?" Squealed Shippo.

"He wasn't revived…. He just never died. He didn't fake his death, he just became so weak he didn't have enough power to fuel any of his evil doings… Well that's what we think." Kagome told the group.

"But we do know something. I-Inuyasha." She blushed slightly and looked down. "I'm, uh, going to go with Sango to the hot spring. I'll tell her there. And, um, you can tell Miroku."

Sango and Miroku stared at them in confusion.

"No way, Kagome. You can't go. It's too dangerous..." Inuyasha said, his voice sounded worried.

Miroku looked at Sango with an expression that said _What's up with those two?_ Sango merely shrugged.

"Inuyasha!" She said, frustrated. "I'll be fine! I can protect myself! Don't worry... We'll be back soon. Ok?"  
Inuyasha paused and finally said, "H-hai."

Kagome smiled at him. She grabbed her bow and quiver.

_Just in case…_

She took Sango's hand and they walked towards the hot spring.

**--The Hot Spring--**

"So what's so important that you had to spilt us up to tell us?" Sango asked, curiously.  
"Well…" Kagome replied hesitantly, "I didn't really want to be around Miroku when he found out. I was sort of afraid of his reaction, with his "questionable morals" and all. Never know what the hentai might say." Sango smirked at her, as she sat on the rocks, dipping her feet in the boiling water. Kagome took her place beside the young exterminator.

"OK, so out with the news Kagome-chan. I'm really curious as to what it is!" The taijiya smiled at her. "Does it have something to do with you and Inuyasha making up?"

"Well…" She said, biting her lip. "We, uh… did a little more than making up."

"Kagome-chan!" Sango cried, her face taking on a shocked look. "You DID NOT!"

Kagome nodded solemnly and looked at her hands that we're placed around her stomach.

"Wow… I'm so happy for you! I never thought things would be the same after… After what happened." She looked at her friend, with an expression of happiness. She was just glad that things had turned out alright. "Well…Congratulations!"

Kagome smiled sadly and shook her head.

"It's not all good. The other thing we know is… Naraku is after our child. He came to my world and was planning on killing me. When I came out he said something about a prophecy. We came here to see if Kaede-obaa-chan could help, but he had gotten to the village first. It was a massacre. She was dying by the time we found her…" Kagome choked back tears.

"Oh my god… Kagome-chan, we were there just yesterday. We only left because a traveller passing by had told us that a village to the north was being attacked by a demon. But when we arrived there was no demon at all. We were lured away!" She clenched her fists in anger. "That bastard! I bet Naraku is behind all of this…"

Tears slid down Kagome's face and she leaned her head against Sango's shoulder. It was all too much.

"Sango-chan, he swore he would kill me and the child."

"I… That evil bastard… What a burden..." Sango commented, her arm around Kagome. "Well, Kagome-chan I swear, I'll do whatever I can to protect you. No matter what. I promise. It's just… I have a strange feeling about this child.."  
Kagome sniffled and pulled herself up. She asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well why would Naraku be all worked up over killing it if he didn't have a reason? I mean, he could just hate it for the fact that it is yours and Inuyasha's… But still. That seems too simple. He must know something about it that we don't." Sango smiled and added, "Kagome-chan! This child could be the downfall of Naraku!"

Kagome smiled and thought about it. Sango's point made good sense. And ever since she had found out she was pregnant, she had knew there would be something special about her child. Things were finally starting improve. Maybe the upcoming struggle against Naraku wouldn't be quite as hard as she anticipated. At least, she could hope that's how it would be.  
"Well, we should probably head back. I don't want Inuyasha to get to worried." Kagome said, with a slight smile.  
_Poor Kagome-chan, _Sango thought, sorrowfully as she stood up. _She's been through so much… But, we all have. Though to think that your own child is in danger of being killed before it is even born. That's pretty awful... Well, I'll do my best to watch over them, _She vowed. Turning towards Kagome something caught eye.

"Kagome-chan! Abunai!"

**--At the Camp--**

"INUYASHA!" Miroku howled. "You dog! No pun intended."

Inuyasha moaned and rolled his eyes at the monk.

_Kagome, I'll get you for this one, _he thought.

"Oh shut up Miroku." Inuyasha grumbled.

"I never thought that you… I'm impressed." Miroku patted the hanyou on the back and took his seat, beside Shippo.

"You don't understand!" Inuyasha mumbled.  
"What do you mean?" enquired Shippo.

"When we were in Kagome's time, Naraku somehow found us. He swore he would kill Kagome and the child. He said it had something to do with a prophecy. We came back to find out about the prophecy and found Kaede dying and her village destroyed. I'm worried about Kagome's safety. If she dies, then so does the pup."  
"Oh my…" Miroku whispered. "I'll protect her with my life."

"Me too!" Vowed Shippo.

"Arigato. You know this means a lot to me." Said Inuyasha, showing a softer side of himself, few had seen.

After a few minutes of thoughtful silence, Miroku asked, "I think I may know something about this prophecy."  
"Nani?" Inuyasha half shouted. "Tell me!"

"Quiet down, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. I'll tell you all I know. But I think we should wait until the ladies get back."

"Bouzu..." Inuyasha muttered.

Inuyasha looked toward the direction that the girls had left.Suddenly, he was struck with an overwhelming sense of fear.

_Oh shit!_ He thought. _Kagome has the jewel! _He'd forgotten about it. That would definitely attract some unwanted attention. _I have to find her before someone… or something else does. _

"Stay here I'll be right back." Inuyasha told them, as he ran off towards the hot spring. He couldn't shake the sense that something was dreadfully wrong.

**--The Hot Spring--**

"Hiraikotsu!" Shouted Sango, throwing her weapon at the demon. "Kagome, move!"

Kagome dived to the ground and rolled out of the way of the demon's claws. She grabbed her bow and readied an arrow.

She looked at their enemy. It appeared to be a large wolf like creature. It had brown fur and stood about four times her height.

She released her arrow and it swiftly sped toward the demon, surrounded with a magical white aura.

It struck the demon just above the knee.

Unfortunately for Kagome, the demon's attention was drawn away from the Sango's attack, to Kagome.

"Give me the jewel, wench!" It growled, swiping at her. Kagome backed out of the way tripping over a branch. She looked up, unable to move. She closed her eyes waiting for the demon's claws to hit her.

"Kaze no Kizu!"

Kagome watched as Inuyasha brought Tetsusaiga crashing down on the demon.

He landed beside her and knelt down, asking, "Are you alright?"  
"Hai…" She said, grabbing onto him.  
"Hold on, I've have to finish him off. He's only knocked out."  
She reluctantly let go as Sango ran over to her, with her boomerang.

"I had no idea, I did my best to keep the demon away. I just wasn't fast enough. I'm so sorry..." The girl was considerably upset. She felt as if she had failed her friend. If Inuyasha had not come when he did, she didn't even want to think about what could have happened.  
"Sango-chan, it's ok. I'm fine." Kagome comforted.

"Sango, don't worry about it. It's over and done with." Inuyasha said, his eyes still on the unconscious demon.

Kagome looked away, as Inuyasha thrust Tetsusaiga through the demon. The flesh melted away and all that was left was bone.

"Kagome?" His breath came short and raspy. He looked her in the eyes, knowing that no matter what her reaction she would have to follow his request. He would force her if it came down to it.  
"Hai?" She replied.

"I need you to do something for me."  
"What?" She asked.

"Go home." He said simply.  
"No! I will **not**! We just got here!" She cried, an angry look on her face.

"I don't care. You're leaving right now. You shouldn't have to live like this… You shouldn't have to deal with this horror."  
"I cant leave you here! No way!" She stomped her foot on the ground for emphasis.

Inuyasha growled, and lifted his head to the sky. With a softer tone he said, "You're leaving and you're going to take Sango, Miroku and Shippo with you."

Sango's mouth fell open.

"How are we supposed to go? You two are the only ones that can travel through the well!"

"Well, I was thinking about that earlier…"  
"Inuyasha? Thinking? Wow I'm impressed!" Said Miroku, walking up behind him.

"Shut up, bouzu... Anyway, as I was telling these two, anyone could travel through the well as long as they held onto either Kagome or me. And I think that's how Naraku got to Kagome's world."  
Kagome's eyes widened as she realized how Naraku had gotten to her world.

"I remember now…" Kagome stuttered. "When I was leaving after you…Um… When I was at the well something touched my shoulder right before I jumped in. I looked around but there was nothing there… I understand now. That was Naraku. It was his spirit… And when we were coming back! Right before we jumped into the well, I felt something push me. I thought I had just stumbled…"

There was a moment of silence as the group pondered this. Then Inuyasha interrupted the silence.

"It's the same as when we were fighting Yura of the hair. The only reason her hair came to Kagome's world was because it was hooked on my shoulder." The others nodded, having heard the story of the fight with the hair demon Yura. "But wait… How could Naraku have the time to destroy the village if he only came back when we did?"

Kagome bit her lip and searched for an answer but Sango

"Maybe he created another incarnation of himself before he left? His incarnations have the same scent as him, right Inuyasha?" Inuyasha nodded and she continued. "That would make sense then… Oh my! And he must have gotten someone to give word of a demon in the north so we would leave the village. It all makes sense!"

"But, even if this works, what are you going to do, Inuyasha? Naraku will just follow us to Kagome-sama's world. Like he did before." Miroku said.

"I'm coming back." He said quietly. "And we'll somehow make sure when we're leaving that he isn't there… I'll just hope he'll go after me..."

"**NO! **I'm not letting you go back by yourself!" Kagome cried.

"You are not coming! I can't be risking your safety." He argued. "In you own world, you're more protected. You know the dangers. But here, everything is so unpredictable. Besides, you'll have Miroku and Sango to protect you."

The two nodded and Shippo jumped up to Kagome's shoulder.

"Me too!" He told her. She smiled at his act of bravery.

"So when do you think we should leave?" Sango asked.

"Now." He replied.

"Nani? No way." Kagome said, her voice racked with frustration. _I feel so helpless. I can protect myself. I'm not a child, _she thought.

"Go get your stuff from the camp." Inuyasha commanded.

"Fine! I don't care. I don't need you anyway!" Kagome shouted.

Inuyasha looked at her, a look of confusion on his face. She merely turned and stomped off toward the camp, her mouth still moving, as she talked to Shippo.

"Sango, please go with her." Inuyasha asked.

"Hai…" She said, looking back at Inuyasha.

**--At the Camp--**

"I don't need him. I can protect myself!"

"Kagome! Please don't be mad at Inuyasha. He's just trying to protect you." Sango told her. Kagome hurried around the camp gathering her things. The moon had just began to rise.

"Well I'm not a child! I can protect myself. He treats me like I'm completely helpless. Oh, you know what? Screw him. I just don't care."

Sango looked at Kagome with sympathetic eyes.

"I know you care Kagome. Why did you keep coming back if you didn't?"

"Oh man." Kagome said, collapsing to the ground. "I better just leave." She looked Shippo, who was sleeping on her bag. "I don't want to drag you guys into this too."  
"No, we're coming with you!" Sango informed her. "I don't care what you say. Things are going to get pretty hectic in your life. You'll need us, trust me."

Kagome considered Sango's proposition.

After a few moments of silence, Kagome said, "Fine."

_I cant leave Shippo here alone again. Poor little guy… _

"Kagome, trust me this is what you need to do. And don't blame Inuyasha. He's just doing what he thinks is right, ok?"

"Alright. I guess… I guess I need to give him some more credit. Just don't tell him I said that," She said, her lips curling into a wry smile, "Or it might go to his head." This got giggles out of both girls.

"And trust me." Kagome added, "You do **not** want that happening." The two girls burst into laughter again, as Inuyasha and Miroku walked back.

"As if it hasn't already!" Sango said and Kagome rolled her eyes. The two laughed again.

"Well," Miroku said, leaning towards Inuyasha, "It would seem she's in a better mood. Lucky you, if you get what I mean."  
"Shut up, idiot." Said Inuyasha, hitting the houshi on the head.

Inuyasha slowly walked behind Kagome, and waited a few seconds. He needed to find the right words. Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly he felt something push him from behind. He stumbled forward, his arms reaching out to break the fall. Unfortunately for him, his hands were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Kagome turned around, feeling something touching her backside and saw Inuyasha.

"OSUWARI!" She yelled.

**Crash**

"Pervert!" She screamed.

"Shit." He muttered. When the spell wore off, he was going to find the person who pushed him, and he was going to tear them to shreds.

"Why did you do that? I thought the only pervert we had to deal with Miroku-sama. What's gotten into you!" She asked. "Tell me before I sit you into hell." He was pulled into the ground again. He moaned and pulled himself up.

"I didn't do-"

"I know you did. Just tell me why!" She shouted.

Inuyasha covered his ears. "I didn't-"  
"No, you did, so tell me why."  
"You don't under-"

"Yes I do! Now-"  
"I DIDN'T DO IT!" He yelled at her. "Somebody pushed me."  
He looked around, trying to find Miroku. Finally, he spotted the monk rolling on the ground, laughing.

He stood up and walked away from Kagome.

"Inuyasha, come back here. I'm not finished with you!"

He ignored her and walked over to the monk.

"So you think that was funny, huh?" He asked. Kagome ran up beside him, Sango on her other side.

"What?" He said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Never mind. I'll get my revenge." He said, eyeing the monk with an evil glare. He turn away and went to pack up Kagome's things.

"What was that about?" Sango whispered.

"I'm not sure, but I think Miroku-sama pushed Inuyasha into me." She said quietly.  
"Oh, I get it. I think we should give him some pay back." Sango said, with a grin.

"Nah, let's let Inuyasha have him."

"Fine..." The taijiya said, disappointedly. As she walked by, she stuck her hand out to help Miroku up.

"Arigato, Sango." Miroku said, reaching for it.

She pulled him halfway up before letting go.

He fell to the ground with a thump and rubbed his backside.

"Baka." She muttered, walking away.

_------_

Naraku sat, bathed in the moonlight that was streaming in from the window.

Things were going along as well as could be expected. The monk, taijiya, and fox demon had been lured away by the bandit Kanna had rewarded to do so. The incarnation he had created before leaving this era, had then destroyed the village and killed every being there as he had instructed. It was a bonus that they had returned so soon after the village had been destroyed.

Yes, things were going along very well.

As the evil demon lord sat within his castle, his thoughts drifted to Kikyo. He had discovered that she had given up her life soon after his 'death.' This issue had soon become a worry for him.

Kikyo was one of the strongest priestesses that had ever lived in this world. That being said, it should have been her, of all people, to realize that he was not really dead. Even though he had been using the fuyoheki to hide his presence, she still should have been able to sense something. It was only pure luck for him that his stupidity of settling on that particular mountain and having the fuyoheki taken back had all occurred after her death. If it had not, he had little doubt he would not be sitting here right now.

But to add to the mystery surrounding Kikyo's action, it was very out of character for her to give her life up only for the hanyou's happiness. On so many occasions she had showed wanting nothing more than to bring him to hell with her.

_Perhaps she has changed?_ He thought. That still did not give reason to why she did not sense his presence. Of all the creatures who loathed and hated him, she had always stood out as the one who would eventually be his downfall.

"Possibly she knew more of this prophecy than I?" He wondered aloud. If she had seen or read something else, that he did not know of, it might have put her mind at ease, knowing that she could never defeat him.

After all, the prophecy had been written for the young girl and the hanyou, telling how to destroy him. He knew not what details of him it would give to them. He had only managed to extract the key points from Kikyo. She had resisted rather well, but he had eventually broken her.

Kikyo had told him the first few steps of this prophecy, one of which had greatly sparked his interest. The third point had been about the child. That in itself had interested him, but the next detail had sparked his curiosity. It said that the child would be a very 'special' one. What the prophecy meant by that, he did not know, but it would remain on the forefront of his mind.

As he stared into the darkness outside the castle, he pondered this issue of this special child. His earlier thought of something putting Kikyo's mind to ease began to bother him. And then he realized something.

What if Kikyo had read something within the prophecy about this child, but she had been able to conceal it from him. Whatever that was that she had read had made her believe that she was not the one chosen by fate to destroy him. Perhaps the reason this child was 'special' was because it was meant to be his destruction.

_This may pose a problem_… He thought.

Although, at least one good thing had come out of this entire ordeal. Kikyo had made his task that much easier by leaving this world. When he had merged back with his human heart, it had been for the reason that Kikyo was aware of it's exact location. As much as he loathed the human side of himself, he knew that it must be done. Unfortunately, he then knew that he could not kill Kikyo as he had regained his feelings for her, but it would give him time to create new plans.

However, before Naraku had time for these new plans, he had been attacked and nearly lost his life due to his stupidity. But with Kikyo gone, he no longer had to worry about his feelings and the duty of killing her, for she had done it for him!  
For now though, he could content himself in the thought of regaining the completed jewel and corrupting it. He would use it to rid himself of his human heart, once and for all. Then he would be inescapable. The world would be a wasteland of devastation and death, just as it was always meant to be.

His thoughts soon wandered to the young girl, Kagome. As much as he would have enjoyed murdering the miko and her unborn child in her era, he had not had the strength then. His trip there had been meant only to scare them. Though he was considerably stronger than he had been after the battle and his trip to her world, he still had a substantial amount of strength to gain back. It would be foolish to attack them right now.

He would let them think he had gone back into hiding for the moment. It would only be a few days until he had fully regained his demonic powers. Then he would strike.

* * *

So what did you think? I hope that it was done alright.. Please review so I will know if I've done it properly.

See you on the next chapter.

-**Kellai-chan-**


	10. Chapter 10 Through the Well

So here we are. Chapter 10 already.

Ok, so I must say that I am happier with the ending. I didn't change all that much, but it does seem a bit more believable... I corrected a few spelling errors and fixed other small details.

* * *

Chapter 10 - Through the Well

**--The Bone-Eaters Well--**

"Inuyasha…"Kagome said hesitantly. "I don't know." She bit her lip and looked down into the well.

"Don't worry." He put his arm around her shoulders. "It'll work."

"But…" She looked over at her friends, who were sitting on the grass, going through the things they were bringing with them. "Ok… Fine. Let's go. I just want to get it over with."

"Good, I'll get everyone." Inuyasha let go of her and walked over to their friends. Kagome looked down into the well again, as Sango walked up beside her.

"Don't worry," The taijiya reassured. "It'll work. This is going to be so much fun! I'll get to see what you're world is like!"

Kagome smiled and thought, _This should be fun. I can picture it now, "Hey mom, meet my three friends. A monk, a kitsune and a demon exterminator with a fire neko for a pet, all from feudal Japan!" This is going to be interesting._

"Kagome! Before we go… Do you sense anything… Around us?" Inuyasha asked.

She concentrated for a second but didn't feel anything. She told Inuyasha so. Miroku nodded in agreement.

"Good… I don't smell Naraku's scent either." He told her.

Kagome sighed in relief and told the group she had a couple things to say before they left.

"Now before we go, you all need to know something." Kagome said loudly, trying to get their attention.

Shippo jumped on her shoulder and Miroku moved closer to Sango as she said, "When you're in my world, there is absolutely no, and I mean no, leaving my house. Shippo-chan you can play with my brother Souta, I think you'll like him. And do not use your fox magic. Is that clear?" Shippo nodded his head.

"Now Sango-chan, you can bring you weapon, just don't use it unless it's really needed. And Kirara, no transforming. Now, Miroku-sama same with your wind tunnel. Also, the women in my time aren't as, uh, open with their feelings as you are. So you definitely cannot-"

"Pervert!" Sango screamed, interrupting Kagome. Inuyasha began to laugh and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"You cannot do that." Kagome finished. Miroku looked at her with a sly grin. "I mean it! You do that and I'll make an exception for Sango-chan using her weapon." Miroku's grin faded away and moved away from Sango and Kagome.

"I guess that's it. Let's go." Inuyasha said. "Sango you hold on to Kagome, same with you Shippo. Miroku, you can come with me."

Sango laughed at the look on Miroku's face as she gripped Kagome's arm tightly. They climbed onto the side of the well.Kirara sat perched on Sango's shoulder.

"Ready?" Inuyasha asked. Without any further warning Kagome jumped into the well. She felt Sango and Shippo hold's tighten. She watched as they passed through the time stream and landed in her time. She fell to her knees and pulled Sango to the side as Inuyasha and Miroku landed where they had just been.

Sango exhaled and released Kagome's arm.

"It worked!" Kagome exclaimed happily.

Shippo hopped off her shoulder and began climbing the wall. Miroku followed after Shippo and Kagome was just about to start climbing when Inuyasha grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.

"I'll carry you up." He whispered, pulling her into his arms. He leapt into the air, above the others and landed softly on the ground inside the well house.

She pulled out of his arms and smiled as she said, "Arigato Inuyasha."

Soon after, the other three climbed out of the well. Kagome lead them up the stairs and to the door. She put her hand on the handle and pulled it open.

"Wow!" Cried Shippo, running out of the well house. He ran over to the sacred tree and pointed. "Look it's the tree!" Kagome and the others started to laugh at Shippo's excitement.

He ran back over and hopped onto Kagome's shoulder.

"Tell me about everything! I want to know!" Kirara ran about the yard, trying to pounce on birds that flew a little to low.

For the next few minutes Kagome walked them around the yard explaining about the different things. Like cars, running water, televisions, and other household items. Everyone was very confused, but it didn't really matter.

Because, for once, they had forgotten about their problems. They were concentrating on being happy, not fighting or trying to come up with a battle plan.

After Kagome had told them everything she thought they would need to know, in order to get by living in her house for the time being, she decided it was time for them to actually go inside. She directed them over to the door and told them to wait. Her and Inuyasha walked inside.

"Hello?" She called. She walked around the kitchen, beginning to worry. She found a note on the table that read:

_Hi honey,_

_If you're reading this, it means you got back sooner than expected. _

_I took your grandfather back to the hospital after he complained of chest and head pains again._

_We should be back soon. Souta's staying at Hitomi's house. _

_There's some noodles and sushi in the fridge and rice in the pot._

_Love,  
Mom_

_Weird,_ Kagome thought. _I know jii-chan is getting on in years, but he's always been really healthy. _

"What does it say?" Inuyasha asked, walking up behind her.

"My mom took jii-chan to the doctor. Souta's at Hitomi's and there's food in the fridge. You can let everyone in. We'll have to wait until later to introduce them to my family."

Inuyasha nodded and walked past her to the door. He fidgeted with the knob but finally got it open.

"You guys can come in now." He told them. Sango was the first to enter, Kirara at her side. Then came Shippo and Miroku. All three looked around the room, gazing at the different items, like the oven, the toaster, the rice cooker.

"So what do all these things do?" Asked Miroku. He lifted up the blender and turned it around. looking at the different parts.

"That's called a blender. You put different foods in it, and mixes them together, sort of. Most of the things in this room have to do with cooking, because this is the kitchen." She explained.

"Ah, I see. Now what is this big thing here?" Miroku was now standing in front of the fridge.

"It's called a refrigerator. It keeps foods cold so they don't spoil." Kagome walked over to the table and sat down.

"Really?" Shippo said, not holding back his excitement.

"Yup." Kagome told him, 'Shippo-chan, just wait until my brother gets home. You two are going to have a lot of fun together. He can show you the Nintendo."

"Nin-tend-oh?" He asked.

"Oh, it's a form of entertainment that kids in my era play a lot. But he'll explain it to you." She turned to look at the clock. When she saw that it was nearly midnight, she said, "We'd better get to sleep. It's almost midnight."

"What? How do you know?" Enquired Sango.

"Well, if you look over there," Kagome answered, pointing toward the digital clock, "there is something called a clock. It tells you the time by showing numbers. Right now it say 23:59. That means there's a minute until midnight. Not to mention the fact its dark outside. Anyways, I'll teach you guys more tomorrow. Now, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping. Just follow me." She stood up and sauntered over to the stairs.

She wearily strolled up the stairs. The first door they came to was her room. She opened the door and motioned for Sango, Shippo and Kirara to go in.

"You guys can sleep in here This is my room so you can stay here for… well, as long as you're here." Kagome told them. She let them enter and then closed the door.

She continued walking, until they arrived at Souta's room. She pulled the door open and stepped in. Miroku and Inuyasha followed.

"Miroku-sama," She said, "You can stay here. This is my brother's room, so when he gets home we can find a different place for you stay."

Miroku mumbled something that sounded like, _'Perhaps with Lady Sango,' _but since Kagome didn't have the hearing of a hanyou she wasn't sure. But her assumptions was confirmed when Inuyasha punched him in the head and said, "In your dreams."

Kagome shook her head and walked out, Inuyasha close behind.

"Inuyasha…" She began to open her mother's room, but he interrupted her.

"Doesn't matter. I'm not going to sleep tonight. I'm going to stay downstairs and keep a look out. You never know when Naraku will strike again." He grabbed the hilt of Tetsusaiga and stared off into space. "I'll get him next time."

"Inuyasha, please don't ruin it. It's been such a wonderful night. I don't want to think about all that right now… Please, we'll talk tomorrow, ok?" She pleaded.

"Kagome…It's just…. I'm sorry. Never mind." He turned to leave, but Kagome grabbed his arm.

"Inuyasha… It's just… I'm trying to make the best of the situation."

"How can you make the best of a situation like THIS?" He asked, anger boiling within him. "Maybe it's you that doesn't understand. You can't always be so positive all the time. You might not have realized it, but your life is in danger!"

"I've lived the past three _years_ of my life in danger. What's different now?" She argued.

"What? Are you trying to blame that on me!" He asked, his hands curled into fist at his sides. "In case you don't remember… It was _you_ who kept coming back!"

Kagome turned away quickly, not allowing him to see the tears in her eyes.

"If you really **hate **me so much why do you have to lead me on like this?"

She hurried into her mother's room, not waiting for a response, and slammed the door. Laying down on the bed, she clutched a pillow to her chest. She bit her lip, tears spilling from her eyes. She began to sob, silently, ignoring Inuyasha.

Outside Inuyasha put his hands on his head and growled.

"Kagome?" He called. "I don't hate you! I didn't mean it…"

"Go away!" She replied, her voice quiet and broken.

_I wont fall for your lies anymore. _She promised herself. _I thought you loved me…I can't believe I actually thought you had changed…_

_Fine_, He thought sadly. He walked down the stairs and sat at the kitchen table.

He sat at the table for a couple of hours, debating what he should do. Finally, when the clock struck 3 am, he stood up.

_It's better this way… _He thought, trying to convince himself. _This way she wont be hurt… If she hates me it wont be as hard on her._

He silently crept up the stairs and leaned against the door of the room Kagome was in. He could hear the soft rhythm of her breath. She was asleep. Without making a sound, he opened the door and slipped into the room. He quickly made his way to her and leant down.

"Goodbye…" He whispered, and kissed her on the forehead. He gently pressed his hand against her stomach. "Goodbye little one."

He drifted to the door and with one last glance at Kagome, said, "I love you…"

And in the dark of night, Inuyasha was gone.

* * *

I know it was pretty short.. But it had to end here.  
Anyway.

So, in case you noticed, I didn't put Bakuryuuha as Tetsusaiga's strongest move on my Japanese word list. Now this is a confusing subject.

Tetsusaiga also has 'Kongousouha.' I would guess this move is stronger than 'Bakuryuuha' because it was able to break  
through the stone oni's stomach when Bakuryuuha couldn't. (Then again, Inuyasha was using a shard of the jewel..)

But then we see the third movie, and Tenseiga's 'Souryuuha' and Tetsusaiga's 'Bakuryuuha' defeated Sou'unga..

I would assume it would have to be incredibly strong to be able to do that...

So I'm coming to the conclusion that 'Kongousouha' is the stronger move. If anyone has any ideas or comments to prove otherwise, please tell.  
This subject isn't directly related to my fanfiction, but it is a point of interest for me.

Now, we may be seeing more of 'Kongousouha' in my fanfiction, but still not that much. If you notice, in the anime and manga, for such a powerful  
technique, 'Kongousouha' is grossly under used. So it's frequency of appearance in the manga/anime will reflect on its appearance in my story. Meaning,  
you wont see it much, except for very important battles, and event hen maybe not.

Ok, so that is it. Sorry if I confused anyone.

Also, I apologize for the length of this chapter. I just felt it needed to end here.

**-Kellai-chan-**


	11. Chapter 11 The Prophecy

-Sigh-

And so my story gets incredibly confusing. Ok, now I went back and fixed every little detail surronding this finicky prophecy.

It's caused so many troubles for me, I almost considered getting rid of it but I really do like it a lot. I think I have managed to find every  
plot glitch surronding it, but if you happen to notice one, please contact me. godessofthelightathotmaildotcom or xkellaix on _AIM._

Thanks.

* * *

Chapter 11 - The Prophecy

Kagome stretched her arms and quietly walked down the stairs. She rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen. She looked at the clock. It read 11:45.

_Wow! I sure slept in long,_ she thought. Everyone else was still asleep.

She strolled over to the message machine. It said there was one new message. She pressed play and walked over pour herself a cup of orange juice.

"Hi, I just wanted to leave you a message in case you're home, Kagome!" It was her mother's voice, "It turns out that I'll have to stay a little longer at the hospital. Souta should be home sometime in the afternoon. I should be home early afternoon. I have my cell phone, so if you're home just give me a call. Bye!"

Kagome was resting her head on the table, her eyes closed, when she thought of Inuyasha. She remembered the night before and felt her stomach drop. She had been overcome with so many feelings that she had said things she didn't mean. She felt bad for being so stupid.

She knew he didn't hate her. It had been a stupid fight and she wanted to apologize for overreacting. The doubts that had been hiding in the back of her mind had slowly crept forward and overwhelmed her.

She smiled to herself and thought, _I know he loves me. I guess I'm just under a lot of stress, _she thought. _What with Naraku and the baby… _

_'_He's under a lot of stress to!_' _Screamed her conscience.

She stood up and decided she would get dressed before seeking Inuyasha. She made her way back up the stairs and silently crept into her room. She walked over and picked some clothes out of her dresser and walked back to the door. She peeked over at Sango, who was sleeping peacefully on her bed. Kirara was curled up near her feet with Shippo. She left the room and walked into the bathroom.

After she had changed and freshened up she checked the other rooms on the upper floor and found no sign of the hanyou anywhere. She checked the living room, where he was supposed to have been, in case he didn't hear her in the kitchen earlier. But he wasn't there either.

Disappointed, she walked back into the kitchen and pulled out a chair and sat down, greeting Sango.

"Ah, ohayo Kagome-chan!" She said, petting Kirara, who was sitting in her lap.

"Ohayo Sango-chan. And good morning to you too, Kirara!" Kagome added, noticing the fire neko. Kirara glanced up at her and meowed in reply. Looking back up at Sango, she asked, "So…How did you sleep?"

"Very well! That bed of yours is _quite _comfortable!"

Kagome nodded her head and explained, "That's probably because it's not made from straw. You'll find most things in my time will be hard to get used to but well worth it."

She nodded, and then asked, "Where's Inuyasha? I thought he'd be with you…" She noticed Kagome's troubled look. "Is something wrong?"

Kagome looked up at the ceiling, staring blankly. "We had a fight last night..." She looked back down at Sango and continued, "It wasn't any big deal, but I want to apologize. I just cant find him." She stared at the wall behind Sango. "I checked the whole house…"

Then a sudden idea hit Sango. She said, "He's probably outside!"

Kagome's face broke into a smile. "Of course! I'm going to go out there and find him right now." She stood up and Kirara hopped off Sango's lap. She began sniffing the ground and meowed to Kagome, trying to get her attention.

"Yes?" She asked, bending down to look at Kirara. The cat motioned with her head for Kagome to follow her.

"You want me to follow you?" The neko youkai meowed again, sniffing the ground once more.

"I think she's going to find Inuyasha by his scent." Sango resolved.

Kagome nodded and told Kirara, "Lead the way."

Sango stayed seated, and winked. "Good luck!" She whispered.

Kagome followed Kirara outside, into her backyard, all the way to the well house.

"He's in here?" She asked, puzzled. Kirara meowed again and Kagome slid the door open.

Her stomach dropped as she looked inside.

He wasn't there.

"Kirara…he's not here." She told the fire neko. The cat meowed and hopped down to the well.

"No… He wouldn't." She whispered. She rushed to the well and looked over the side. Turning her gaze to Kirara she asked, "Are you sure?" The cat sniffed the ground, just to be sure, then looked up at Kagome and meowed.

Kagome turned away from the well and looked at the ground. Her eyes swelled with tears as she noticed something lying on the ground. She must of missed it, in her rush to get to the well. She bent down and picked it up.

It was the locket. The one with the pictures from the photo booth. He'd kept it since their defeat of Kaguya. So why would he leave it here? Unless…

Kagome grabbed the locket and shoved it in her pocket and hopped over the well. She closed her eyes and waited to cross times. She felt her feet connect with the ground. But when she looked up, she wasn't staring at the clear blue sky of feudal Japan. All she saw was the ceiling of the well house. Her hand immediately went to her chest, searching for the jewel. When she found it she began to get nervous.

_Why didn't it work! _She wondered

But then it hit her.

No Inuyasha, the locket, not being able to pass through the well. It made sense now. Inuyasha had left, presumably to go after Naraku, the locket was his goodbye, and he'd sealed the well, rendering it useless to Naraku or Kagome.

She fell to her knees, her hands digging at the dirt.

_I'll get through! I know it! _But doubt pressed at the back of her mind.

"I'll get through!" She cried, as if voicing it out loud would help. After what seemed an eternity of useless digging, she slumped against the wall, crying.

"How could you!" She punched her fist against the ground in anger. "You idiot! You jerk!"

Her anger quickly turned to sorrow. She held her head in her hands and asked, "Why?" Her voice echoed in the well, causing Kagome to sob even harder.

"Kagome-chan?" Called Sango.

"Kagome-sama!" Came Miroku's voice.

She looked up and saw her two friends faces peering down at her. She sniffled and looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

"H-Hai?" She answered, her voice cracking.

"What's wrong?" Asked Sango, noticing Kagome's state. She hopped over the side of the well and landed swiftly at the bottom. She held her hand out, offering to help Kagome up. Kagome took her hand and allowed herself to be pulled up.

Once she was upright, she began to cry again.

"Kagome-chan! What happened? Why are you crying?" Sango grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look up at her. Her tone became softer as she asked again, "What happened?"

Kagome's eyes had a glazed look about them, and she couldn't seem to focus on anything. She just stared at the wall.

After a few seconds, she seemed to snap. Her words came out very fast.

"H-he's gone.. T-the wells s-sealed! The l-locket! H-he went a-after Naraku!" She sobbed harder and leaned against Sango, crying into her shoulder.

Sango hugged her back and murmured, "It'll be ok. Just try and tell me that one more time, slower… ok?" Kagome nodded, brushing the tears out of her eyes.

"Inuyasha…h-he's…h-he's gone. He l-left to go a-after Naraku…He -_sniff_- left the locket… And w-when I tried -_hiccup-_ t-to go through the w-well… He m-must've _-sniffle_- sealed i-it!" Sango nodded sadly and looked up at Miroku. He gave her one of the miserable looks she had ever seen.

After a bit of coaxing, Sango finally got Kagome out of the well. Kagome later found out that Kirara had ran inside, after seeing Kagome jump into to the well, to get Sango and Miroku. The three walked back to her house and sat down at the kitchen table. Shippo was waiting inside. He had just woken up and wondered where everyone had went.

Kagome sat at the table, still crying, while Miroku and Sango tried to hypothesize what Inuyasha had done.

"But why would he seal the well?" Asked Shippo, who was attempting to console Kagome.

"I would think the answer quite obvious, Shippo." Miroku said, his eyebrows raised in a thoughtful manner. "The real question is how he sealed it. But the reason he did was so Naraku cannot get through, placing Kagome out of harms way. I suppose he also did not want Kagome going after him." Kagome cried harder, after Miroku said this.

"Wait a sec!" Exclaimed Shippo, hopping off Kagome's shoulder and onto the table. "That means…That means we're stuck here!"

There was a sudden, uncomfortable silence. Even Kagome had stopped crying. She looked up and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She sniffled once and in turn looked, at all three of her friends.

"N-not to sound harsh…" She started, "But it's not as though… you really have any blood relatives there anymore…" She trailed off, waiting for someone to get angry at her for the comment. But what Miroku said next surprised her.

"Maybe…Maybe that was Inuyasha's plan all along." He looked up and added, "It makes sense. He was the one who came up with the idea of bringing us all here. The only other acquaintance I have there is Hacchi. Shippo's family were already deceased. And since Kohaku passed away…" He mumbled.

Kohaku had willingly given his life up. No longer under Naraku's spell, he had allowed Kikyo to take the shard from his back, killing. He had known of Kikyo's plan to have Naraku defile the jewel and then for her to purify it and him. So Kohaku had died in the hopes that Naraku would be destroyed and his village and family avenged.

But really, he had died for nothing.

"You're right! Before we came he seemed to really want to make sure that we would protect you…" Sango looked at Kagome. "I think he'd decided he was going to do this long before yesterday."

"But why did he have to leave like that?" She whispered, willing her self not to start crying again, because if she did she knew she wouldn't be able to stop this time. "He didn't even give me a chance to apologize or say goodbye…"

"Because he cares." Sango murmured. "If he'd delayed longer it would have broke his heart to leave. And yours."

Kagome's mind was filled with emotions, but something was really bothering her.

_What if he never comes back? _

Kagome opened her mouth to voice her concern, when she heard a commotion coming from the front door.

"Souta, be a dear and hold the door for me." She heard her mother's voice.

"Hai, mama." Souta answered.

Kagome stood up and walked to the door, telling her friends to stay here.

"Mama!" She cried. The sight of her mother made her want to cry again. She ran up and hugged her.

"Kagome… Hello… I didn't think you'd be home so soon. Is something wrong?"

"Oh mama…" Her mother dropped the bags she was holding and led Kagome into the kitchen where she was stunned to see three very strange people sitting.

Souta gasped, and her mother said, "I think you should explain Kagome."

------

After about a few minutes of introductions, Souta took Shippo into the living room to show him the television and Nintendo. Souta had been very fascinated Shippo's tail.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kagome had just finished explaining what had happened the past few days.

Kagome's mother, who was standing at the counter chopping up some vegetables and adding them to a pot, that was boiling water over the stove, listened quietly. She seemed to be taking it all very well. Considering who was sitting at her kitchen table and would be living in her house for the next… Well for as long as it took for Inuyasha to come back.

When Kagome finished talking her mother said, "But, there's still one thing. You mentioned something about a prophecy…"

"The prophecy!" Miroku exclaimed. "I completely forgot! I was going to tell you all, but then Kagome was attacked," (Kagome's mother gasped, still not completely used to this type of thing.) "And we came here. I was planning on revealing my knowledge today, but then…"

Kagome nodded and said, "Tell us everything you know."

Miroku put his hands together and looked down, very solemnly.

"Just after I had left home and became a travelling monk, in search of Naraku, I began hearing strange rumours…"

_I was journeying to the south and had stopped at an inn for the night. I was talking with the inn keeper asking him questions about the area. We got talking particularly late into the night and by then we had both had a few mugs of sake. His tongue was pretty loose now so I decided to see what information I could get out of him…_

_"Naraku?" He repeated, "Never -hiccup- heard of him…"_

_Frustrated, I stood up about to retire to my room for the night, when he began to speak again._

_"W-wait…-hiccup- I, uh, I think I might know something." He said, his voice bubbly and animated. Not quite how I would've expected to talk about Naraku. I turned around and waited for him to begin speaking again._

_"I think -hiccup- I don't know if it -hiccup- interests you… There's a scroll -hiccup- supposedly tells the hiccup path to destroy the -hiccup- evil one. Who ever that is!" He laughed._

_"What scroll!" I exclaimed._

_"Ya know, -hiccup- I think.." He paused and squinted his eyes, as if trying to remember. "Yup… It's rumoured to be -hiccup- in possession of some priestess… Don't remember her -hiccup- name."_

_I nodded, disappointment again. I went to bed and lay awake trying to think of what to do. There were far too many priestesses to track in this land. I decided I would continue on my journey, searching for Naraku, by rumours and sightings. I also decided I would ask every priestess I met, about Naraku and the scroll…_

"Ok, but I remember Kaede-obaa-chan telling me and…" Kagome paused, not wanting to be reminded of him, "Telling us, that she had given a scroll containing the prophecy to someone. But we don't even know if this is the same scroll we're talking about."

"True, and if it is, then why did you never ask Kaede-sama for it, houshi-sama?" Sango added.

"By the time I had met Kaede-sama, I had completely forgotten about the scroll. I was pursuing Naraku with Kagome-sama and Inuyasha. It wasn't until about days after Inuyasha had left, when Sango, Shippo and I were staying in the village."

"Kaede-sama told me to take Sango and Shippo and leave the village. She also gave me a piece of parchment and told me to guard it with my life and try uncover it's mystery. I tried to question her, but she didn't know anymore than it had been given to her shortly after Kikyo-sama had passed on.

She knew that her sister had tried to read it, though she didn't know if Kikyo-sama had been successful. She was told to uncover it's mystery but couldn't so she handed it on to me, in the hopes that I could. I think she might have known of it's importance and she possibly foresaw the destruction of her village…"

"But… Is it… Is it the prophecy? Do you have it?" Kagome asked quickly.

Miroku reached into his robes and pulled out an ancient looking piece of paper. He placed it on and table and pushed it towards Kagome.

"I only just realized that it must be the parchment in which I had devoted so much of my time to tracking down. And when Inuyasha told me of the prophecy I remembered this… so it must be it. This is the prophecy!" He said, excitedly.

"But…If you couldn't read it… and Kaede-obaa-chan couldn't read it … How can I even hope to…?" She asked, not expecting an answer.

"I thought about that too." Miroku told her. "Inuyasha mentioned that Naraku was the one who informed you of the prophecy… Somehow he found out about it… Kagome-sama pick it up."

Kagome bit her lip, hesitantly.

_Why do they think? That I'll be able to read it? _

She looked around at her friends. Both smiled back at her told her to try. She looked at her mother who nodded in agreement. _Fine! I will!_

Her hand was shaking as she picked it up off the table.

_This is it… _She thought.

She to unravelled it and as she looked up at the top of the paper, to her amazement, words appeared as if someone were writing them

_Follow the steps and you will find,_

_A way to see into the dark one's mind._

_Only the chosen one possesses the power,_

_To shed light in the world's darkest hour._

"I…I don't understand…" She thought aloud, her eyes wide in amazement.

"Nani?" Questioned Miroku.

"Words…" She began, her voice quivering. "T-There are words!"

Sango stood up and walked behind Kagome, surveying the paper.

"Kagome-chan…I don't see anything." Sango told her.

Kagome looked again to make sure the words were still there. _Why cant she see them?_ She wondered.

"But Sango-chan…They're right there!" She said pointing at them.

"I don't see anything…"

_I must be the only one able to see them…_

"Never mind that Sango… Read the words Kagome-sama." Miroku instructed.

"H-hai…" She said. She slowly began to repeat the words, as Sango sat back down. Miroku listened, his eyes closed in concentration. Her mother threw the last vegetables in the pot and sat down at the table.

After she had finished reading, Miroku said, "Dark one? It must be referring to Naraku."

"But when was this written? How could they have known of Naraku? He wasn't even Naraku yet. He would still have been Onigumo… Or maybe he wasn't even alive yet!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Well, perhaps," Her mother began, "Whoever wrote this…Has the power of foresight. I mean, when you think about it, anything is possible now…"

"Yes, that is a very good guess." Miroku said, smiling at her, that lecherous twinkle in his eye.

Kagome noticed the look on his face, as Sango tapped her with her foot under the table. They exchanged uncertain glances and then looked away. But through all the sadness, confusion, and anger, a very strange and very disturbing thought popped into Kagome's mind.

_He's hitting on my mother…!_

Sango sent a death glare at Miroku, who merely shrugged and grinned. Kagome's mother looked around the table, not quite understanding.

Kagome began to giggle and shook her head in comical way.

"Ahem," Sango said. "Back to the scroll, please."

"Uh, yes… The scroll," Miroku started, awkwardly, "it said, '_follow the steps,' _but I'm guessing that what you read was all you saw."

Kagome nodded and asked, "But why am I the only one who can see the words?"

Sango looked puzzled for a minute, then answered, "It mentions a 'chosen one.' Maybe, only the chosen one can read and follow the steps!"

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise. _Me? _She thought. _The 'chosen one?' Ha I doubt it. I mean, look at me…_

"So… Saying that I am this 'chosen one,' then if I follow the steps, I'll be able to see into to Naraku's mind, right?" She said, and Miroku nodded. "But what use will that be?"

"Well, you can see what he's planning!" Her mother responded.

"Which would ultimately lead to his destruction!" Sango added, excitedly.

Kagome sighed and said in a much quieter tone, "But still… what use will that be now that the well's sealed?"

Her question remained unanswered as her mother's soup began to sizzle on the stove. Ms. Higurashi stood up and took the pot off of the stove and spooned some into six bowls. She handed them to Miroku, Sango, Kagome and put one at her spot. She placed the other two on either sides of Kagome.

"Otouto! Shippo-chan!" Kagome called. "Dinner!"

The two came running into the room, obviously very hungry. Souta took a seat on Kagome's left and Shippo hopped up on Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome whispered to him, "You have to sit in the chair." He nodded and jumped down to the chair and began eating. She looked at the bowl and decided she didn't feel like eating. She just wasn't hungry.

Kagome looked around her table and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Despite her distressed state of mind, it was rather funny. It's not everyday that a taijiya, a monk, and a kitsune come over for dinner.

"Oh, I forgot!" Kagome said, smacking her head with her hand. "Miroku-sama, since Souta is back, you'll have to stay somewhere else. Uh…"

"He can stay in your grandfather's room." Her mother said simply.

Kagome nodded and told him, "It's across from the one you were in."

"Ok." He replied.

"Kagome?" Asked Souta. "Where's Inu-no-nii-chan?"

Kagome ignored her brother's question and looked away. She wasn't trying to be rude. She just didn't want to have to deal with that issue right now.

"Well…I think I'll head to bed…" She said, standing up, rather abruptly. Thinking about Inuyasha, and their predicament made her feel nauseous.

"But we still-" Miroku started, but was cut off when Sango kicked him, rather viscously, under the table.

Kagome said goodnight to everyone and turned to leave, when she remembered the scroll. She turned around again and picked it up off the table.

"I'm, uh, going to take this… Maybe I can work on it…" She trailed off and walked up the stairs and into her room.

She pulled out a sleeping bag from the closet and rolled it out on the floor. She grabbed a pillow from her bed and sat down. She held the scroll up and turned it around, looking for any other words.

"How am I supposed to follow the steps, if I don't know what they are?" She asked. "I just wish this stupid thing would show me these 'steps!'"

As if the scroll had heard her question, words began to appear, underneath the ones already there. Again it was if they were being written by an invisible hand.

_The former keeper of the scroll will unwillingly reveal part of the prophecy to the dark one, before her death. _

_As the soon-to-be keeper of the scroll passes through a period of deep sorrow, the scroll will be passed onto another keeper._

_The soon-to-be keeper of the scroll and hanyou will conceive a child. A very special child. _

_The dark one will be the cause of the separation of the soon-to-be keeper and the hanyou. The hanyou will sacrifice his love for her safety._

_The guardian will fulfill his duty, by passing the scroll onto the rightful keeper._

Kagome dropped the paper and stared at it in shock. The scroll had just recounted the past few weeks.

And if her guess was correct, than it had been Kikyo who had told Naraku of the prophecy. Miroku had said that the scroll had been in Kikyo's possession. Maybe she had been able to uncover some of it and when she had been revived, told Naraku. It made sense… If Kikyo was the only one able to read part of it, then Kagome would be able to as well because she is Kikyo's reincarnation.

It all made sense!

Kagome hesitantly picked the paper back up and looked at it. What she read weren't steps though. It was just a sort of timeline.

_How can I get the steps to appear? _She wondered. _Maybe if I say it out loud… It seemed to work last time._

"Uh…Show me the steps?" She asked. She looked at the paper and the writing disappeared to be replaced by more. It said,

_'These are the steps.'_

"What!" She exclaimed. Now it seemed that the paper was alive and was able to answer her questions. She looked back down and saw more writing.

_'These are the steps that have been completed.'_

_Breath Kagome, breath._ She told herself. She looked back down at the paper and asked, "What are you?"

_'I am the prophecy.'_

"The prophecy?" She asked out loud, her heart beating wildly.

_'I was once a powerful priestess with the power of foresight. I foresaw your plight and wrote this. When I died my soul was contained within this magical paper.'_

"But then… You know how to destroy Naraku! You have to tell me!" Kagome cried anxiously.

_'Naraku? I do not recognize the name you speak…"_

Kagome was confused for a moment and then realized in the prophecy Naraku was known as the 'dark one.'

"I mean the dark one. He calls himself Naraku." She corrected herself.

_'Yes. I do. But, alas, the magic in this scroll forbids me from revealing it at the present moment. You must follow the steps in order to destroy him.'_

Disappointed, Kagome stood up and began pacing, nervously. She thought for a moment and than sat back down.

"But all you showed me before was a timeline of what's been happening… How are those steps?" She asked it.

_'Yes, I know that's how it looks to your eyes. But each statement is a step that has been fulfilled… All you must do to see the next, once the previous has been completed, is ask.'_

_Seems easy enough, _she thought.

"Um… Can you show me the next step please?" She asked politely. The parchment went blank once again, and more writing appeared.

_The rightful keeper shall give birth to the chosen one. Great happiness she will have whilst the hanyou endures pain and suffering caused by the dark one._

Kagome gasped and said, "But I thought I was the chosen one!" Though this time the paper made no response. "If I'm not the chosen one, how come I can read this?"

_'Because this prophecy was written for you.'_

_What! _She thought. She shivered. _That's creepy. Someone knowing about your life before you do… Weird._

"Wait… You mentioned the very first keeper. How come she could read it?" Kagome questioned.

_'It was my mistake. I mistook her for you. Surely you can see the similarities?'_

_So she thought I was Kikyo? Wouldn't be the first person… _She thought bitterly. _And because of her mistake now Naraku knows part of the prophecy._

"Because you revealed part of your secrets to the first keeper, the dark one now knows that I'm going to have a kid and that the chosen one will be able to see into his mind… Great." She muttered, sarcastically.

_'After I had revealed the first four lines, I knew something was not right. This woman was in love with a hanyou so I thought that this was the woman I had written the prophecy for. I was mistaken. I revealed no more.'_

"Wait!" Kagome exclaimed. "Than how would he know that I'm going to have a child? None of the steps had been completed and you said you didn't tell her anymore! How does Naraku know!"

_'It was my fault. When she touched the paper her powers managed to accidentally break through the protective barrier I had cast to keep the evil from being able to read it. She hadn't even tried to break it. Her powers… They were amazing. _

_Unfortunately a bit of information seeped out. I was able to stop all of it from being passed onto this woman. She only discovered the first few steps, even though they hadn't been completed._

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused!" She glared at the paper, expecting an answer, or an apology, but the words just faded away.

Angry, she rolled up the paper and threw it inside a drawer. She got into her sleeping bag and closed her eyes.

She felt so helpless. She would have to sit her and wait while Inuyasha was out fighting Naraku. It wasn't right!

But for now all she could do was pray…

Pray that Inuyasha could hold on.

* * *

Ok, so not too much changed.

Also, in case you still haven't seen the 2nd IY movie, here's about the locket thing. It is from the second movie. Kagome was 'slow' in coming back so Inuyasha comes to her era to get her. She's walking home from school at the time, and Souta runs up to tell her Inuyasha came to get her. Souta brings her down the road to where the hanyou is. She doesnt want anyone to see him so she pushes him into and photo booth where she yells at him. Both of them are angry and Souta thinks it'd be fun to take pictures so he puts some money in. The flash goes off and Inuyasha thinks it's a demon and he tries to attack it.. Kagome sits him.. Anyway she puts the pictures in a locket and gives it to him. In the end it saves him from being turned to stone by the evil lady of the movie, Kaguya-hime.

So thats about it.

Until next time,

**-Kellai-chan-**


	12. Chapter 12 Birth of the Chosen One

Hello!  
I had a bit of dilemna when posting this chapter. Allow me to explain...

The main reason was choosing a name for the child! Yes the time for the birth has come! O.. P  
So, I've decided it would be a girl (seeing as I want a girl of my own, one day D). I got a few suggestions  
from you guys, but decided on these as my top 5.  
**  
Rae  
Tanpopo  
Kisa  
Megumi  
Narue**

I really liked these particular names.

**Rae -** You might recognize this from Sailor Moon.. I was obsessed with SM for a while, and I while I really liked the character Usagi, I didnt think the name fit this. So I picked Rae).  
**Tanpopo** - From a manga I read titled Imadoki, Nowadays. Tanpopo means dandelion. The character in the manga was quite cute I i think since I loved the character so much I had to pick the name as a top one.  
**Kisa -** This name comes from a character from Fruits Basket. Though I've only seen one episode with her, I really liked the character. She was silent because of being teased so much at school (or something along those lines) and then Tohru manages to warm up to the girl and get her to talk.  
**Megumi -** This name is just a random name I found whilst looking through the manga preview books I got from Free Comic Day, down at a comic store in downtown Toronto. It was actually in an ad for a manga I havent read and cant remember the name of.. I loved the name the moment i saw it..  
**Narue -** I found the same way.. though it is also the name of one of the main characters in Love Hina.

Sorry I'm going on and on. I should just stop and let you read. Just thought u'd like to know the process of selection and the history behind the names. Read on and you'll find which one I actually chose.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12 - Birth of the Chosen One  


It had been nearly eight months since Kagome had learned of the next step in the prophecy. She had discussed it with her friends and they decided that they'd just have to wait. The scroll had refused to reveal anything else, so she'd given up for now.

Kagome had gone back to school, but after about a week she'd quit.

She just couldn't take it.

And it wasn't as though education would be able to help her anymore. She'd argued with her mother and said that there'd be no point in continuing.

It wasn't like algebra would help her defeat Naraku.

Or that biology might help her find a way to get back to Inuyasha.

_Ha!_ She'd thought. She'd almost felt like laughing in her mother's face. But she'd figured it was just those raging hormones. They made her do such strange things.

Meanwhile, Kagome's grandfather had come home from the hospital, cured of whatever he had been suffering from.

He wasn't to pleased when he found out that a monk with a wind tunnel in his hand had been sleeping in his room. Kagome had moved Miroku up to the attic.

And he really hadn't taken too well to either Kirara or Shippo. At least not after finding out they were youkai. Then he'd thrown magic scrolls at them trying to rid them of evil spirits. Eventually Kagome had gotten very tired of him and threatened send an arrow of purification at him if he didn't shut up. Another random act of anger.

Those hormones were _really_ getting to her.

About two months after Kagome quit school, which would have been mid March, Miroku had _finally_ proposed to Sango. She'd blushingly accepted and the two were now officially together. But Sango tried not to talk about it too much in front of Kagome. She knew how much her friend was suffering.

For the next couple of months, Kagome helped out around the shrine, looking after the garden and the different buildings. She seemed content enough. She always put on a happy face when talking with any of her friends.

But deep down inside, she was dying. Her heart was broken. Each morning, before anyone awoke, she crept out to the well and jumped in it, hoping that somehow it had been unsealed. But it was always the same. She couldn't get through.

In August, Kagome's mother had forced her to go to the doctor. She'd insisted that she get an ultrasound, but that's where Kagome had drawn the line.

"I'll go," She'd told her mother, "But I do not want an ultrasound." She'd had a lot of time to think about it, and guessed that the child would have ears, just as it's father did. She was already dreading the birth.

What would the doctor say? She knew that the longer she could put it off, the better. So she'd had a standard check up. He'd informed her that the baby would be born sometime in late September.

Overall the summer had been pretty good. She'd had lots of visits from Yuka, and only one from Eri and Ayumi. Luckily, her mother had answered the door and told them she was sick again. They'd left, and hadn't come back again. Kagome had guessed they'd gotten the idea that she didn't really want to speak to them… Even if it seemed a little harsh. She'd talk to them… In time…

It was the second weekend of September, and a very nice day, so Sango decided that she and Kagome should eat outside for dinner. They packed a picnic and sat under the Sacred Tree.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Asked Sango, munching on a dumpling.

Kagome nodded and said, "We should eat outside more often, while it's still warm out." She yawned and stretched out her arms. "I'm so tired." She said, yawning again.

"Well, I'm not surprised, look at you." Sango laughed, pointing at her stomach. Kagome grinned and took a sip of her soda, when she heard someone call her name.

"Higurashi!" Called Hojo, waving.

Kagome moaned and looked down.

"Kagome, who's that?" Asked Sango, looking at the boy as he walked over.

"Guy from school…" She mumbled. Sango nodded in understanding, Kagome had explained to her about school.

Kagome put her hands over her stomach, in a poor attempt to cover it, and looked up, faking a smile.

"Konbanwa, Hojo-kun." She greeted.

"Hello." He said looking at Sango.

"Hi." She replied, quietly.

"This is my friend… Sango-chan. She's been staying with us… She's an…uh…exchange student from… Beijing."

_Phew… That was close. _Luckily, a few weeks before, they had gone shopping to get some new clothes for Sango and Miroku.

"I thought I'd come by to see how you are. You missed last year's exams, and when you didn't show up this year, I thought something was wrong. How've you been?"

"Uh, well…I'm…fine…" She trailed off, noticing his very surprised look. She tried to avoid his gaze by picking up her chopsticks and looking at her food, with sudden interest.

"What happened?" He asked, stunned.

"Oh… Uh…W-well… Yeah…Uh I'm, uh, pregnant." She smiled nervously and bit her lip, awaiting his comment.

"I never… I never would've expected…" He began. "Who… Who is the father?"

Kagome stared at him a moment, unable to answer. She sighed and leaned back, staring at the branches of the sacred tree.

"Hojo-kun…" She said. "It doesn't matter…"

He stared at her, confused.

"Well… I hope you are… well…" He stood, feeling awkward and unwanted.

Kagome was about to say something when she suddenly dropped her chopsticks and held her stomach. She felt a pain in her stomach.

"S-Sango-chan…" She stuttered. "Get… Ow! Get my mother… We need to g-go to the hospital."

Sango hopped up and dashed into the house.

"Higurashi…" Hojo said, bending down. "Can I do something to help you?"

She shook her head, her faced screwed up with the pain. Sango came running back outside with Miroku.

"Kagome-sama!" Shouted Miroku. He knelt down, pushing Hojo aside. "You need to stand up. Your mother's waiting in the… uh… the c-car…" Miroku and Sango had both been in the car before, but it was still a very new concept of travel to them.

Sango held out her hand and helped Kagome up. Together, the three walked to the front yard, leaving Hojo to stare in disbelief.

They drove to the hospital and Kagome was admitted very quickly. The doctor had been in to check on her and told her that everything was going fine and it would be a while longer.Sango and Miroku had to sit outside in the waiting room. Souta and Shippo had arrived shortly after, with her grandfather, who seemed to be getting along with Shippo a whole lot better lately.

She laid in the bed and looked over at her mother. Who was resting, her eyes closed.

"Mama…?" She asked.

Her mother jumped up, alert as ever and then noticed Kagome lying on the bed. She began to chuckle quietly and said, "Sorry… You woke me. Did you need something?"

Her eyes filled with tears as her mother held her hand, and tried to soothe her.

"I-I want Inuyasha…" She cried.

"It's ok… I'm sure you'll see…" But she stopped talking, for she couldn't find the words. She too had her doubts that they would ever see him again.

Kagome began to cry harder as the doctor walked back in the room. Her mother took a tissue from the table and dried her eyes.

"Ok, Higurashi-san," He said, checking monitors around her bed and writing things down on a clipboard. "I think you're ready."

Kagome didn't really remember much of the next few minutes. All she _could _remember was pain. Pain beyond imagination. And then silence. She heard crying and the doctor and a nurse whispering in hushed tones. They were motioning toward the baby.

"Uh…Date of birth Saturday, September 15, 2001." The doctor started, walking toward Kagome listing off more information to the nurse, who was scribbling it down on a sheet of paper.

"Well… It's a girl. But…" He said, handing the bundle of blankets toward her. "Well… You'll see."

Her mother helped her to sit up so she could look at the baby. She pulled back the pink blanket and saw the most beautiful and pure face. Then she noticed what the doctor was talking about.

On the top of the little girl's head were two fuzzy black ears. It had amber eyes, just like Inuyasha, and thick black hair… Well thick, for a new born.

But what a normal person would call flaws or imperfections, she saw as beautiful. It was her baby. No, their baby. Nothing could stop her from reaching Inuyasha now. Nothing could! She saw hope when she looked at the face of her sleeping child. She suddenly had more courage and hope than ever before. Anything was possible.

She smiled joyfully, as tears of happiness fell down her face.

"What will you name her?" Asked her mother quietly, a big smile on her face.

Kagome looked at the child's sleeping face and whispered, "Megumi."

------

Several weeks passed since Megumi had been born. They'd left the hospital, a day later. The doctor had continually asked if she'd like him to remove the ears and she'd continually declined. She'd also noticed the disapproving stares from nurses and other patients. They all thought she was the typical teenage mother. As soon as the boyfriend found out she was pregnant, he took off…

_'But it not like that!' _She wanted to scream. _'You don't understand!' _But she didn't. She kept quiet and tried to avoid their gazes. It was hard enough with him not being here. She didn't need this.

She was happy to be back home. At least here she had trustworthy friends and family who understood her.

Her mother helped her with the baby, taking care of her when Kagome needed to get out. But it wasn't a hard task. Overall, Megumi was a very well behaved baby. She was quiet and liked to play. The only problem they'd noticed was that she'd grown claws very quickly. They had to be careful when playing with her, because like her father, Megumi's claws were very sharp. Very soon after, her hair had grown to about shoulder length. It was very thick and black as night. It wasn't hard to see her resemblance to her parents.

One day Kagome was sitting on the couch with Sango and Miroku, holding the baby, while watching Souta and Shippo play Nintendo.

Megumi was happily playing with Kagome's finger. She was squeezing it and pulling on it, very fascinated.

"Kagome-sama?" Asked Miroku, who was sitting contently beside her, with Sango resting her head on his shoulder.

"Mhm?" She answered, her eyes fixed on Megumi.

"I, uh, don't want to interrupt…or anything… But perhaps you should take a look at the prophecy?" He suggested, innocently.

Kagome froze, as she remembered the prophecy.

_I completely forgot!_ She thought. She stood up quickly and shifted her arms, getting a better hold on Megumi, who had closed her eyes and was going to sleep.

"Yeah… I should go get it… It'll be able to tell me the next step now!" She said excitedly. She walked up the stairs, slowly, so as not to wake the baby. But as soon as she was in her room, she laid the sleeping Megumi in the crib and rushed to her desk.

She picked up the piece of parchment, which she had discarded there months earlier. She sat down at her desk and studied the paper.

_What do I have to do again? _She wondered. _Oh yeah! I have to ask._

She felt sort of silly asking a piece of paper something, but then she remembered that it wasn't just a piece of paper, there was the spirit of a priestess within it.

"Well…uh… Show me the next step?" She asked eagerly.

Words appeared on the page as before. They read,

_Though still badly wounded, the hanyou will assemble forces of the most unlikely individuals. Together, they will set aside their differences in order to crusade against the dark one. Though this attempt, in theory, will seem adequate, it will fail miserably. For without the chosen one, the dark one will never be overthrown._

"Stupid paper!" Kagome muttered, throwing it onto her desk. "What can I do here? I cant even get through the stupid well! How is Megumi supposed to do it?" And then Kagome realized something. "If Megumi is the _'chosen one' _and she is the only one who will be able to overthrow Naraku… We'll have to wait years until she can help! She'll need to be older! And who knows what'll have happened by then!"

Kagome looked at the paper as tears of frustration watered her eyes. _And even when Megumi is older,_ Kagome thought, _how will she be able to get through the well to help?_

Kagome stood up and walked to her bed. She collapsed onto it and closed her eyes.

_I'll never get to see Inuyasha again… _

It seemed all the energy had drained from her as she drifted into sleep.

But when Kagome had cast aside the paper, she didn't realize that it hadn't finished the step yet. As she laid on her bed the scroll revealed one more thing.

_Six years it will take. Six years of hardship and endless battles for the hanyou._

_But he will live. _

_And through a miracle of the jewel, father and daughter will be reunited._

* * *

Hoped ya enjoyed it!  
And see. I told you everything would be ok!  
Ijust cant stand the thought of an unhappy ending. I'm such a sappy person D

**-Kellai-chan-**


	13. Chapter 13 The Battle

Aloha:P

Again, I'll just remind everyone, this story is being written under the impression Kagura **never **died. even though I said nothing after manga 37 would count in my fic.. still just gotta remind you all.

I know thats **not **what happened in the manga, but that's one thing I have to ignore. The character of  
Kagura is just to incredibly... cool (what a bad word to use, eh?) for me to not use her. I just love her so much! (Well not nearly as much as Jako-chan.. Er.. Jakotsu Y.Y)

Just thought I should remind you!

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 13 - The Battle

**--Sengoku Jidai--**

It was nearly night when Inuyasha finally reached Kouga's cave. He landed softly on the ground and knelt down, clutching his arm. It was still injured from his last attack on Naraku.

It'd been a hard battle. He'd nearly managed to get a clear attack, but he'd been too slow and Naraku had used that time to attack him. The youkai had snapped his arm right in half. Even now it was still very sore. The bone had fully healed.

More damage had been caused, but he was mostly better.

He stood up and shook his head to clear it.

_I cant believe I'm asking this flea bag for help, _he thought. _I've hit rock bottom. _He walked up to the cave entrance and called, "Kouga!"

Immediately the wolf youkai came bounding out of the cave. He wasn't quite as fast as before, having lost all his jewel shards.

"Well, well. Inukkoro…Ready to die?" He asked, grinning maliciously.

"Oh shut up, baka! I'm not here to fight." He yelled.

Kouga leapt at Inuyasha, his fists swinging widely. "Ha! Like I'd believe that!"

Inuyasha immediately grabbed his wrists held them. He used one leg to kick Kouga away from him, so he could grab Tetsusaiga. He stood there, his sword aimed at the wolf demon.

"Listen, Kouga… I am not here to fight. We need to talk." Inuyasha growled, as Ginta and Hakkaku came out of the cave.

"Fine." Kouga said, eyeing the hanyou suspiciously, while rubbing his wrist. "Wait a minute… Where's my Kagome?" He looked around. "And where are all those other humans you hang around with?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and put Tetsusaiga back in it's sheath. Then he turned away, and said, "First of all, she isn't **_your _**Kagome, ok? And if you're a good wolf, then maybe I'll tell you." He smiled, and turned back to Kouga, trying not to laugh at the offended look on his face.

"You better have something really important to talk about," Kouga said through gritted teeth, "Cause if you don't, I swear I'll rip you limb from limb." He stood up and walked into the cave.

_Good luck, without those jewel shards, _Inuyasha thought. He decided to keep his mouth shut and not push Kouga too far. After all, as much as he hated to admit it, he did need his help.

As he walked by the wolves, many of them eyed him suspiciously and growled menacingly. He shook his head and followed Kouga to the back of the cave, Ginta and Hakkaku close behind him.

Kouga sat down on, what looked like, a pile bones. Inuyasha remained standing, and leaned against the wall.

"Let me fill you in on what's happened so far. The jewel's been completed…" Inuyasha started, when Kouga interrupted.

"Wait! That means Naraku's dead, right?"

"Idiot! Kagome has it! And like that idiot would ever die. Even without the jewel he still hangs on to life." Kouga huffed, and looked away.

Inuyasha continued, "We'd thought we'd killed him 'cause Kagome and the others said they saw him die, when he was hit directly by Kagome and Kikyo's arrows. So we took the jewel and left. But then it turns out… He survived somehow."

"You left Kagome by herself with the jewel!" Kouga cried. "How could you put her in such danger? If Naraku still alive, he's going go after her! Stupid mutt!"

Inuyasha's hands shook with anger. "Just shut up, ok! Kagome's fine where she is!"

Kouga looked at Inuyasha, curiously.

"Just listen," Inuyasha said, calming down. "Naraku somehow found Kagome…in her… country. He said he'd kill her and take back the jewel." Inuyasha thought it would be better if he didn't mention the child… Or the prophecy, since he knew so little about it.

"But where's Kagome?" Kouga pressed.

"She's somewhere that Naraku will never be able to get her. Trust me, I care more about her safety than you can imagine." Inuyasha looked down. It had been ten months since the well had been sealed. And it'd been pure luck that it'd happened.

He'd been sitting in Goshinboku, contemplating what to do, when a mysterious monk approached him. The monk had offered to end his worries and seal the well. Inuyasha had immediately questioned the monk, asking how he knew what he wanted. He'd pulled out Tetsusaiga and threatened to kill him if he didn't explain himself.

The monk merely shrugged and said it was just a kind deed he was willing to perform.

Inuyasha decided it was the only solution and agreed. He watched the monk suspiciously as he performed some sort of magic. As soon as he was done he went on his way, continuing down the path.

Inuyasha had looked down the well and then back over to the monk. Or rather where the monk should have been. It had only been a few seconds, though there was no trace of the monk anywhere. He had disappeared…

"You need to understand that if Naraku isn't killed, everyone will die. He has more power than you think, even without the jewel." Inuyasha stated.

"You don't need to tell me. I was going to go after him anyway, cause I didn't know he was dead. I never got my revenge for the death of my pack." Kouga told him.

"So you'll help?" Inuyasha asked, looking at Kouga, who nodded. Ginta and Hakkaku both followed suit.

"But after this is all over you know that we're back to being enemies." Kouga said.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Inuyasha grinned and thought, _Not much longer now, Naraku… _

------

The next day was spent planning battle strategies and ideas about who else they could ask for help.

"Well, we could ask the fire cats. But we haven't been getting on with them too good lately…" Kouga explained. "Nah, they'd kill us before helping us."

"I think I know someone who might be able to help… It'd be a stretch but…" Inuyasha said.

"Who?" Asked Ginta.

Inuyasha sighed and said, "My brother, Sesshomauru."

Kouga looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Sesshomauru… I know the name… Hmm… Is he the ruler of the western lands?" Inuyasha nodded and Kouga continued, "Yeah, I remember him. Ginta and Hakakku went on about him. Or more like how afraid they were of him. I met him once and he was really strong. And he's ruthless. He's a killer."

"Yup, that's him." He looked away and continued, "The only problem asking him for help is that he might try and kill me… again…" Inuyasha shook his head and cursed his brother.

"Do you even think it's worth it, then?" Asked Hakkaku.

"Well… Maybe we can lure him into attacking Naraku." Suggested Kouga.

"I don't know. I don't think he'd fall for it… Unless…" Inuyasha trailed off.

"What?" Asked Ginta and Hakkaku.

"If you three," he said, motioning to the three wolf demons, "Somehow lure out Naraku, then I could find Sesshomauru and make it look like I'm trying to steal his sword. But if Naraku shows up, I'm nearly positive he'll forget about me and go after him. Even Sesshomauru wants that bastard dead." At this point he looked around to see what the others thought.

"Look," Inuyasha said, noticing the doubtful look on the wolf demons faces'. "This is our only chance. We don't have anything else. I don't know if it'll work but we have to try!"  
After a long pause Kouga answered.

"Alright."

But while the demons had been discussing the plan they hadn't noticed the ever present scent of Naraku.

Kagura smiled wickedly, realizing this was her chance to break free of Naraku's grasp.

_I shall bring Lord Sesshomauru to him, _she thought devilishly. _And then… let the battle begin! _

She picked a feather out and transformed it, taking off to begin her search for the demon lord. She would tell him some lies to convince him to find and battle Inuyasha. It would work. Sesshomauru was a very powerful demon. And with Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, and Naraku being so greatly weakened, it would have to work. By this time tomorrow she would no longer have to worry about Naraku.

Looking back at the wolf demon's cave she smiled, her eyes twinkling with hatred.

_You **will** die Naraku! _

But little did the wind sorceress know, someone, too, was watching her.

Naraku sat in his castle, gazing into Kanna's mirror almost carelessly. Once again, Kagura working on more plans of betrayal. He knew not what she was doing at the wolf demon's cave, or what her plans were, but he recognized the familiar expression of arrogance and pleasure. He had seen her wear it before.

For now, he still required Kagura's assistance so he would not end her life.

He sent a copy of himself to fetch and return her him.

Kanna stood for a few more minutes, allowing Naraku to see Kagura being taken back to the castle. She could tell that he was thoroughly enjoying the look of horror and shock on her face. She resisted only for a moment and then complied. As the copy and her older sister entered the castle, Naraku said, "You may leave, Kanna." He no longer required her.

She turned and left the room. As she was walking down the long, dark hallway to the exterior of the castle, she encountered the wind demon making her way towards Naraku's quarters.

The sisters shared a look in which many things were silently passed on to each other.

Kanna understood why Kagura had been where she was, and what she was doing. Kagura discovered she was not walking to her death, only to confinement.

Kanna solemnly nodded at her younger sister and continued on.

While Naraku was dealing with Kagura, Kanna would finish her sister's mission by finding the demon lord, Sesshomauru and luring him to Inuyasha with a tale of fiction.

She would be back to the castle before any one had noticed her absence. She had a façade to keep for there were still many things she needed to before Naraku discovered her betrayal.

In due time, though, she and her sister would have their freedom.

------

So after another few hours of planning, it was decided that they would find Naraku's castle, and Inuyasha would shatter whatever kekkai stood in the way. Then they would split up, Kouga and his tribe to lure Naraku and Inuyasha to go after Sesshomauru.

They had gathered, from travellers, that there was a powerful force gathering to the west. So they travelled westward, the scent of human and youkai blood growing ever stronger.

As they came closer to what they thought to be their destination, they heard of a castle, which had just suddenly appeared over the mountains. They were also told of many people who had ventured into the mountains, where there lay a commonly used path to very fertile farm land, simply vanishing.

"This is it." Inuyasha, stated, looking towards the mountains. "Let's go." He motioned for the wolves to follow, and the group began their journey into the mountains. Very little was said, as they walked, for complete silence was needed as the demons listened for any sounds that would expose Naraku.

They had been walking for only a couple minutes, when they came to a small river. Inuyasha stopped and bent down to sniff the ground.

He lifted his head and nodded. "Naraku is here." He started walking again, and looked behind him, at the wolf demons. "Kouga?" He asked.

"What?" The demon replied.

"Run up ahead, and just keep running, ok?" Inuyasha said.

"And why would I want to do that?" The wolf replied.

"Just do it, we don't have time, ok?" Inuyasha turned away from the wolf youkai and smiled wickedly.

_Stupid wolf, _he thought. Nearly four years of chasing after Naraku had given him an edge on sensing kekkai. But Kouga didn't need to know that.

Kouga shook his head and took off, down the path. He had ran for about ten seconds when he slammed into an invisible barrier and fell to the ground, stunned.

Inuyasha turned back around just in time to see Kouga hit the kekkai. He began to laugh, as Kouga stood up and stomped over to him.

"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you!" Kouga shouted. He didn't look very amused, but his tribesmen seemed to think it was rather funny, as they snickered quietly.

"Nope, I had no idea." Inuyasha said, pulling out Tetsusaiga.

"Just cut the damn thing." Kouga muttered, angrily.

_He's too trusting, _Inuyasha thought. _Just shows how much smarter I am than him. _Inuyasha arrived at the spot where Kouga had just fallen down.

Raising the sword, he shouted, "Tetsusaiga!" It turned red and he brought it crashing down, cutting the barrier. He exhaled and put Tetsusaiga back into it's sheath.

"Go." He told the wolves. "I'll meet you back here." Kouga nodded and his pack set off towards the castle.

Inuyasha watched them until they ran out of sight. He sighed and looked around, for any signs that might lead to finding his brother.

It had been decided that Kouga would attack the castle, casually mentioning Kagome's reappearance. It had worked once with Inuyasha. Hopefully Naraku would be stupid enough to fall for it again. Then he would flee and run back to where Inuyasha was now standing. Hopefully Naraku would follow them. But before they got here it was up to Inuyasha to find Sesshomauru.

The hanyou sniffed the ground, but his brother's scent wasn't there. His hope quickly fading, he decided there really wasn't much he could do. Most of the times he had met with Sesshomauru, it hadn't been him that had instigated the meeting.

_What should I do? _He wondered.

His intuition had told him this was a bad idea, but he had ignored it and gone along with itThe whole plan had been very unpredictable. What if Naraku didn't follow them? What if Inuyasha couldn't find Sesshomauru? But it was the only thing they could come up with.

Lost in his thoughts, Inuyasha paid no notice to the person who had successfully concealed himself within the thick woods.

_Pathetic, _the youkaithought. _Doesn't even realize I'm here, does he? _The demon looked down to his side and quietly unsheathed his sword.

Fortunately, the demon, Kanna, had informed him that Inuyasha now possessed the completed Shikon jewel and wished to steal the Toukijin and Tenseiga, assisted by the jewel's power.

Jaken and Rin had been left behind when he had found Sesshomauru would strike before Inuyasha was able to use the jewel. Though the demon had doubted his brother wanted his swords, he would still kill the hanyou, and steal Tetsusaiga and the Shikon no Tama.

Without wasting more time, Sesshomauru bound out from within the trees and charged at Inuyasha with Toukijin.

Surprised at the sudden attack, Inuyasha dodged, Sesshomauru's attack narrowly missing. In midair, Inuyasha pulled out Tetsusaiga and smiled at his luck. He landed swiftly on the ground and struck at his brother.

"Sesshomauru!" He called, as he jumped back into the air. "Just the person I was looking for!"

_What luck! _Inuyasha thought.

"Yes, so I've heard." He replied, bounding after his brother. His face remained calm as the chase begin. He followed after his brother, who seemed to be running away.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to see Sesshomauru, who was quickly closing the gap between them. _Where are you Kouga? _He thought anxiously.

Inuyasha had been running for nearly a minute when the scent of Naraku grew so strong that he landed on the ground and looked around.

His brother stopped as well, sensing the youkai. He sniffed the air to be sure and then looked at his brother.

"You would do well to use the jewel to destroy Naraku, brother!" Sesshomauru suggested coolly.

"What do you mean 'jewel?'" Inuyasha asked, looking around for any sight of Kouga or Naraku.

Sesshomauru raised an eyebrow slightly and then looked past Inuyasha. Inuyasha turned around just in time to see Kouga and his pack who were being chased by Naraku.

Kouga ran over to Inuyasha and stopped, breathing heavily.

"Good job Kouga!" Inuyasha congratulated. "You actually did something _right _for once!"

Kouga rolled his eyes and prepared for battle.

"Ah, Inuyasha. And so the wolf demon's plan becomes clear." Naraku said.

"He didn't believe us that Kagome was here, so we had to attack him. I guess he followed us to continue the battle." The wolf demon explained.

Inuyasha nodded and glanced over at Sesshomauru who, for once, looked slightly confused. "And now, I too, understand." He stated. "Where is the demon Kagura?" He looked over to Naraku.

Naraku smiled and said, "Behind me." Just as Kagura yelled "Fuujin no Mai!" Sending cascades of razor sharp wind blades hurdling at Naraku. "I've had just about enough of you, Naraku! I've come for my freedom!" She had managed to escape from his castle rather easily.

Naraku easily dodged the attack, landing swiftly in a tree.

"Kagura!" He said, his voice full of fury, yet his face remained calm. "I thought you of all people would remember that I always hold your heart in my hand!" He stretched his hand out, a heart appearing on it. He gripped it roughly, sending Kagura to her knees, clutching her chest in pain. Though she could never kill him, he had had enough of the troubles she caused. He could find someone else to do his biddings.

"Y-you bastard!" She cried, her face twisted in pain.

_This is the end… There's some many things I wanted to do… To tell you…_ She gazed up at Seshomauru, biding him goodbye with her eyes.

"You have betrayed me one too many times. You will pay with your life!" He said simply, crushing the heart.

Despite knowing what was going to happen, Kagura's eyes widened in surprise, as she fell to the ground. Her body lay motionless in a crumpled heap.

Inuyasha and Kouga watched in surprise. Both shocked at the murder he had just committed.

"He k-killed one of his own!" Whispered Kouga, who's eyes were wide with shock.

"Yes. Well, mercy is for the weak!" Naraku replied harshly.

Inuyasha gripped Tetsusaiga and began to charge, wanting only to cause Naraku as much pain as he could, when Sesshomauru shouted "Stop!"

The hanyou immediately halted and chanced a glance at his brother, wondering what he wanted.

"That is not the real Naraku." He stated simply. His rose a single finger and pointed to the trees behind Kouga.

Kouga jumped as the real Naraku stepped out from behind, his puppet fading away. Kouga and his pack charged at Naraku. Naraku waved his arm and they were flung back, rendering most of them unconscious. He turned to the hanyou.

"Inuyasha." The demon called, taunting him.

All the feelings of anger and sadness Naraku had caused him came rushing back and nothing mattered except killing him. Inuyasha ignored all common sense and charged at Naraku.

"Bakuryuuha!" He shouted, bringing the sword crashing down where the winds collided. Everyone watched as Naraku was enveloped in the wind.

The silence was nearly unbearable as they waited for the clouds to clear, to see what had become of the youkai.

The dust and dirt began to clear, and there stood Naraku, quite unharmed. He smirked at the stunned faces of Inuyasha and Kouga.

"What! How can that be?" Inuyasha asked.

_I thought he had his human heart! He should have been injured by that. That's what Kagura told us last time before we 'killed' him, _He thought angrily. _There's something else that isn't right… But what?_

He shifted Tetsusaiga and looked over at Kouga, who was conscious again. The wolf demon nodded and they rushed Naraku, Kouga with his claws bared and Inuyasha with his sword.

The demon jumped into the air and yelled, "You'll have to better than that!" Which only caused Inuyasha and Kouga to become angrier.

"Use the jewel!" Called his brother again.

_What the hell does he mean? _Wondered Inuyasha as he attacked Naraku again.

"I don't have the jewel!" He shouted at his brother, who was standing nearby looking utterly bored. But his expression changed suddenly to understanding.

_He doesn't have the jewel. The demon Kanna just said that to trick me into coming to battle Naraku. _He smiled slightly and thought, _Clever of her. She must really despise him. _He had known that Kagura disliked her master greatly, but her older sister had never shown much emotion towards Naraku. _Pathetic…_ _Even his own incarnations wish for his death. _

He looked up in time to see his brother jump at Naraku. The demon grabbed Inuyasha by the throat and drove him into the ground. Naraku grabbed Inuyasha's injured arm and twisted it so the Tetsusaiga fell out of his reach.

"Now what will you do, Inuyasha?" Naraku taunted. "Your little wench isn't here to save you this time. And who knows what you'll become now?"

Sesshomauru could smell his brother's blood beginning to change.

_I had better do something. If he reaches his full demon form I may not be able to restrain him._

Having made his decision the demon lord charged at Naraku, knocking him off of his brother. He looked down at the hanyou, noticing his red eyes and said, "Pick up the Tetsusaiga, I shall take care of Naraku."

Inuyasha could hear someone's voice commanding him to get the sword. He blinked twice and shook his head, wondering, _What happened? _Then he realized Tetsusaiga was laying a few feet away.

_That was close. _

He had nearly became a full demon again. Luckily someone had stopped him before he had fully transformed. He grabbed Tetsusaiga and looked around. He spotted his brother and Naraku battling down the path.

"Should we do anything?" Asked Kouga, walking over to Inuyasha. The hanyou nodded.

"Even Sesshomauru can't defeat him alone." He said, getting up. Then curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "Do you know what happened when Naraku grabbed me? I just sort of blacked out."

"Sesshomauru knocked Naraku off of you and then he said something. I didn't hear him." Kouga told him.

_It was his voice that I heard! _He thought. _But why would he help me? _Still confused, Inuyasha, Kouga and the other wolf demons ran to join Sesshomauru.

Inuyasha and Kouga struck first, from behind. Fortunately Naraku had been busy with Sesshomauru so he didn't have time to block their attack. They both hit him squarely in the back. The other wolf demons jumped from all sides and attacked.

It was evident by the look on Naraku's face that this had caused some pain. He lashed back, slicing Inuyasha's stomach and hitting Kouga's arm. With another wave of his arm a poisonous miasma began to engulf the area..

Naraku flew into the air and disappeared.

"I can't survive long in here!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Yeah, let's go. Everyone's pretty injured!" He called back, already fleeing the scene.

Inuyasha put Tetsusaiga in it's sheathe and turned to leave. But before he did, he quickly turned around and said, "Thanks, Sesshomauru." He followed after Kouga, leaving his brother alone, except for the corpse of Kagura.

Sesshomauru put Toukijin away and watched his brother leave, his face expressionless as always.

He walked over to where the wind witch lay dead.

_She may prove a valuable asset, _he thought. Pulling out Tenseiga, he killed the creatures from hell and picked up the woman.

Her eyes slowly flickered open, her gaze quickly landing upon the face of the demon lord.

"Sesshomauru?" She asked, recognition registering on her face.

He placed her on the ground and turned away.

"I shall allow you to live as long as you swear allegiance to me." He stated simply. "Although I cannot guarantee Naraku will not attempt to end your life again, as long as I have Tenseiga I should be able to allow you live a while longer…"

She stood up, trying to regain her composure. Looking at the demon lord she muttered, "Hai." The control of her life had now partially shifted from Naraku to Sesshomauru.

"Of course Naraku will be aware of your life." He added, as an afterthought. He turned back to her. "Thought he shall be disposed of soon enough."

Kagura smiled at him, an evil sparkle in her eye.

"But for now, we must depart. Come Kagura." He commanded, beginning to walk down the path.

She pulled a feather out of her hair and transformed it. "Let me supply our transportation."

Sesshomauru complied and stepped onto the feather. Kagura jumped on behind him and the two were off.

As they were leaving the forest Kagura looked down, happy to be, for the time being, rid of Naraku. She realized how much she owed to this demon. For now only one thing could be said. So she said it.

"Thank you."

* * *

Just in case you wanted to know (which you probably don't XP) in the manga (not so much in the anime) there actually is something going on between Sesshy and Kagura. Sesshy sort of denies that he cares about anything (As we find out about a million times in movie 3. _'I have nothing to protect'_ meanwhile pictures of Jaken and Rin are being flashed about the screen.. -.-;;)

So the relationship seems onesided.. But it's really hard to tell. Because Sesshomauru is there when Kagura dies and he sort of pities her (that counts as a feeling right? XD) Well actually the whole relationship began when Sesshomauru saved Kagura after he found her dying in the river (I think..) That wasnt when she died though. Naraku told Kagura she would have her freedom, and he allowed her to eb free of him, but poisoned her heart with miasma so she had only a few minutes to wander the world of the living freely.

(Just so you know the reason I sort of dont include alot of parts of the newer manga are because they would completly contradict Naraku ever dying and Kagura being healed by Tenseiga.) It was said, it could not happen for Kagura didn't have a soul. But you'll see later how I'll include that to make my story follow the plot better. And Naraku's heart is in Mouryoumauru.. Who is trying to kill Naraku... And all this crazy stuff is happening which

I cant explain right now.

ANYWAYS! It was quite beautiful how Kagura died though. She was very happy. She was nearly dead when Sesshomauru came up and said he smelt Naraku so he came. And then Kagura told him that he must have been disappointed finding her. And he said "I knew  
it was you." Aww Kawaii! Sesshy does have a good side!

And she thought "At least I was with you.. In the end" Then she died. It was very beautiful, sad, and cute. I cried, i smiled, and I laugh- wait i didnt laugh. I just balledmy eyes out. XP

All she ever wanted was freedom. And in the end she got it.

Ok, and we'll be seeing more of Kanna's subtle betrayal. I think that will sort of signify Naraku's loss of control later on. Well mabye not. I'll see how things turn out as I write..

**-Kellai-chan-**

_I am the wind. The free wind._


	14. Chapter 14 Through the Well Again

No long authors note today.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 14 Through the Well Again

**--Present Japan--**

-6 years later-

"Kagome-chan! Come sit down!" Called Sango, waving at her.

Kagome looked up from her papers and sighed. She stuck the pen behind her ear and walked over to the table her friend was sitting at.

"You look tired." Commented Sango.

"Yeah I am." She sat down, happy to be off her feet.

"It was really busy today." Sango said, pushing a glass of water towards her friend.

Kagome took a sip of the water and leaned on the table.

"I can't believe its been six years." Kagome said, taking another sip.

Six years had past since Kagome had last looked at the prophecy. So much had happened since then.

When Megumi had turned 1, Kagome had found out that her mother was having financial problems. Well, who wouldn't with six people to feed and clothe? So Kagome had suggested that her and Sango get jobs.

Both had easily found jobs at a nearby restaurant as waitresses. The hours allowed Kagome to spend lots of time with Megumi, but it paid decent too. So they'd both worked there up until now.  
Sango and Miroku had been married three years ago. Shippo had started school, fascinated by the homework Souta brought home. Imagine that! Fascinated by homework!  
Lately though, Kagome's thoughts had constantly been drifting to the feudal era and… him…  
Sango looked at her friend strangely. Where had that comment come from?

"Kagome? Are you ok?" She asked, pulling Kagome out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh yeah I'm fine!" She said, giving that same fake smile.

"Kagome! Don't lie to me! What's wrong? You've been acting strange lately." Sango stated.

Kagome looked away, ignoring the concerned stare of her friend. Her hand reached for the locket around her neck. She held it tightly in her hand.

"You've been thinking about Inuyasha, haven't you?" Sango questioned, noticing her friend's actions.

Kagome nodded and looked back at her friend.

"I just want to know what's happening!" She exclaimed, almost seeming angry. "What if he's hurt? He could be dead! And I'm sitting here, not able to do anything!"

Sango smiled reassuringly and suggested, "Have you checked the prophecy lately?"

"Oh what's the point?" She cried, feelings bursting from within her. "You know what it says! Without the chosen one Naraku cant be beat! But that idiot sealed the well!" She slumped in her chair and crossed her arms, trying not to cry.

Sango looked down and sighed.

"I guess you're right… Whoa! Look at the time! It's already 4? Kagome you have to pick up Megumi! I have to get home too! I said I'd help your mom with dinner." She stood up and grabbed her bag.

Kagome stood up as well, shoved her papers into her bag and grabbed her set of keys.

"Kagome.. We'll find a way to fix everything… It'll be ok… I promise." Sango reassured her friend.

Kagome sighed and smiled.

"I hope so…" She put on her jacket and asked, "Are you going to walk?"

"Yeah, so I'll see you at home." Sango waved goodbye and left.

Five minutes later Kagome arrived at Megumi's school. She parked the car and walked into the school, quickly finding her way to the classroom. She stepped inside and saw a few children sitting around a table colouring pictures and looked over to another table and saw Megumi, sitting alone, reading.

The little girl heard the door open and looked up.

"Mama!" She cried, jumping out of her chair and running over to hug her mother.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Kagome said, bending down to pick up the child. She walked over to the table, with Megumi in her arms. She picked up the small backpack and walked over to the coat rack. She put the child down and helped her get her coat on. She thanked the teacher and said goodbye. Then the two were on their way home.

The traffic was pretty much bumper-to-bumper, so it took them a little longer to get home. As Kagome and her daughter walked in the house they were greeted by the wonderful smell of one of Kagome's favourite foods.  
"Oden!" Exclaimed Kagome, as the two walked into the kitchen.

"Thought you needed some cheering up, so I made your favourite food!" Sango explained.

"Arigato Sango-chan!" She took a seat at the table, Megumi hopped up on her lap.

"Konnichiwa Kagome-sama." Greeted Miroku, who was sitting across from Kagome reading a newspaper.

"Hello Miroku-sama!" Kagome said happily.

Her mother walked into the room and greeted her, asking how her day was.

"Busy, as usual." She replied. She looked down at Megumi, and noticed her sad look. "Megumi?"

The little girl looked up, her big amber eyes painfully reminding Kagome of how much she missed Inuyasha.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, worriedly. Megumi shook her head and looked down. "Please, tell me."

"The other kids... They made fun of my ears." She mumbled, tears falling from her eyes.

Miroku looked up from the paper and Sango turned away from the stove, both becoming considerably angry that anyone would dare hurt their friend's child.

"They did…H-how could t-they…" Kagome said, her hands shaking with the anger only a mother could understand. Sango gave her a look of warning. She calmed herself down and said, "I will talk to you teacher, and don't worry. You're beautiful the way you are." Kagome looked away, the urge to cry rising.

Sango turned back to the pot and called, "Dinner!"

Shippo and Souta came running in, obviously very hungry. Kagome's grandfather came in behind them and sat down at the end of the table. Megumi got off of Kagome and sat in a chair beside her.

Sango placed steaming bowls in front of each person and then sat down herself on the other side of Kagome.

Kagome concentrated on eating and didn't speak much. She wasn't really in the mood to talk. She just wanted to finish dinner then go take a nice, long nap. She emptied her bowl and politely waited for everyone else.

Sango took away the bowls and filled hers with more and placed it on the floor for Kirara. The fire cat quickly ate it all.

"Megumi…" She said, thinking that she knew a way to raise the girl's spirits. "There's something I want to show you."

The little girl looked up at her, curious.

She thanked Sango for dinner and stood up to leave. Megumi got up as well and followed her mother out of the room.

They walked up the stairs in silence, Kagome wondering if this would just complicate things. The little girl's gaze shifted to the ground as they reached the door to the attic.

"Megumi…" She began, hesitantly. "I know… You've probably always wondered… who your.. father is."

Her eyes widened as she stared at her mother. She could feel a strange longing in her heart at the mention of her father. Her entire body tightened with anticipation.

Kagome opened the door and followed Megumi through it. They walked over to a cardboard box which was covered in a thick film of dust.

Kagome blew on it to clear the dust and then proceeded to open it.

Megumi stared into the box, expecting something grand and magnificent, but was disappointed when all she saw were some clothes and a green baseball cap.

Her mother reached into the box and picked out the baseball cap. She handed it to Megumi, her eyes filled with tears.

"This… this was your father's, Megumi. I-I thought maybe you would like to have it." Her lip trembled as she gazed upon the hat which Inuyasha had worn all those years ago. On those occasions in which he had come to retrieve her, when he believed she had outstay her welcome (in her own home to!), he had worn the hat to conceal his ears. It was one of the only things she had left of him.

Megumi stared at the hat in her hands and then glanced back at her mother, who was on the brink of tears. She was unsure of what to do with it.

"Okaa-san?" She asked nervously.

"H-Hai?" Came the reply.

"Where… Where is otou-san?"

Kagome had been afraid this question would come up. She didn't know how to reply. Her mind desperately searched for an answer.

"Well… He had to leave. Something… bad happened before you were born and he thought… He thought it might be better if he wasn't here." She stared at her daughter, awaiting a reaction.

The girl remained silent, clutching the hat in her small hands.

"Megumi, as long as you wear that hat… Your father will always be with you… At least in spirit. It will... Protect you." She tried to smile, but the mere thought of Inuyasha brought her to tears again. "He will be back… One day…"

She felt bad deluding the girl in the notion that she would see her father one day.

As Megumi gazed at the had she felt a mixture of feelings. There were so many questions that she wanted desperately to ask her mother, but she only felt herself nodding. She could see how much this subject was hurting her mother and decided that just explaining this much must be a big step for her. She couldn't bring herself to ask the awkward questions about her father that had been plaguing her since she could remember. She gripped the hat and stared at her mother.

Kagome awaited the many questions she was sure would be thrown at her and was thoroughly surprised when none were asked. She felt obligated to address the issue and so she asked, "Megumi… Don't you… Have any questions?"

Megumi continued to look at her mother, and despite her early thoughts, curiosity took over, and she nodded her head, but remained silent.

"Do you… Want to ask me?" Her mother continued.

She clenched the hat tighter and shook her head, noticing the confused look that appeared on her mother's face.

"Why is that?"

She swallowed, unsure of the answer herself.

"Um…" She began, in a quiet voice. "Because… You don't wanna talk about it…"  
Kagome locked gazes with her daughter, unable to comprehend the fact that the six year old was able to notice the pain in her mother and deny herself something she clearly wanted to know just for the sake of her mother's emotional state. She really was a very smart child.

Regardless though, she shouldn't have allowed her daughter to see and understand her pain. That wasn't fair. Kagome promised herself, from now on, she would do a better job of conceal the pain. But for now, as much as she wanted to avoid the issue, it was her obligation to explain whatever her daughter wanted to know.

"Megumi, it's ok. Please, just ask me…"

Megumi fidgeted nervously, one question coming to the forefront of her mind. Before she could stop herself, it popped out of her mouth.

"Do you miss otou-san?"

Kagome, taken aback by the bluntness of the question, was unable to stop the tears from falling from her eyes. She bent down and pulled her daughter close, not wanting her to see her tears.

Megumi wrapped her arms around her mother, feeling herself want to cry too. But most of all, she really just wanted to make her mother happy.

"Okaa-san… Don't be sad!" She told her mother.

Kagome smiled through the tears, and picked her daughter up.

"Thank you, Megumi…I am alright, I just get a little sad whenever I think about your father." She explained. "But don't worry. Just remember, he loves us, and that's what really matters." Megumi nodded and rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

Kagome, feeling everything that had needed to be said had been said, began making her way downstairs, to her bedroom. She felt at ease knowing Megumi knew more about her father and at least had something to remind her of him.

As Kagome entered her room, she noticed that the little girl had drifted off into sleep.

_It has been a long day… For the both of us._

Kagome laid the girl down into her bed and decided that she, too, would take a nap.

She took off her sweater and laid down on the bed, falling asleep almost immediately, tired from the long day.

-----

It had been less than twenty minutes when Megumi began to awake. She sat up quietly and looked around. Spotting her mother sleeping in the bed across from herself, she remembered the earlier event. She looked down and noticed she was still gripping the hat. She pulled it snugly onto her head.

Of course she still had questions, but hopefully they would be answered in time.

As she stared aimlessly, something sparkly caught her eye. She moved closer and saw that it was a jewel. It hung around her mother's neck and shimmered in the fading sunlight, sending cascades of sparkles across the room. She'd never seen it before. She guessed her mom kept it hidden under her shirt.

"Pretty…" Whispered Megumi, her hand reaching to touch it. But she stopped herself, knowing that she shouldn't. It wasn't hers.

But she reached for it again and pulled it off her mother's neck. She placed it around her own, admiring its beauty. She did a few pirouettes around the room, smiling at the sparkles the jewel created.

She stopped and looked out the window. Uncle Souta and Shippo-chan were outside playing soccer. Her gaze casually drifted to the well house. The one place she wasn't allowed to go. It was boarded up now.

As she looked at the well house, she could faintly see something glowing.

_It must be inside of the building, _she thought.

Suddenly it was glowing brighter. She decided to go investigate, all earlier guilt having disappeared. All that mattered now was finding out about that weird light.

She tucked the jewel inside her shirt and quickly ran down the stairs and out the back door. The urge to see what was inside was overwhelming now.

She quietly stepped past Souta and Shippo and pulled the board covering the door back. She opened the door and stepped inside.

_It's so dark, _she thought, as she began to get scared. Megumi looked around for whatever had been glowing and saw the well at the bottom of the stairs. She could see light spilling out from within it.

Mustering up all her courage, she began her journey down the stairs.

With each step her heart began to race. She wanted to turn and run back, but some undetectable force told her to keep going.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she arrived at the well. Forcing herself, she peeked over the side and saw that the light was coming from the bottom of the well. Her feet automatically began climbing over the side, desperately wanting to know what was causing the light.

Before she was completely in the well, she shook her head and said, "What am I doing?"

Why was she down here?

The well was really deep!

What if she fell?

She could really hurt herself.

Not to mention all the trouble she would get in for stealing the necklace and coming in here!

She turned to climb back out, but her foot stepped on a loose brick, which gave away, causing her to lose her balance. Her hands flailed wildly, trying to grab onto anything, to stop falling. She screamed and closed her eyes just as she neared the bottom.

Then she blacked out.

------

The moon had just risen as Inuyasha reached Goshinboku.

"Finally." He mumbled, looking up at the majestic tree. For some reason, after narrowly escaping Naraku (for what seemed the hundredth time), he'd been mysteriously drawn to this sacred tree. He'd felt as if something was pulling him. There was something he needed to do here.

_But what? _He asked himself again.

Six years had passed. Six long, hard years of endless fights and trying to stay alive. And Naraku had only gotten stronger!

After that first major battle with Naraku, he'd known something was wrong. It had been too easy to find Naraku. And the he'd realized that Naraku hadn't been using the fuyoheki

They later found out that Kagura had been revived by Sesshomauru. She told them that when they had thought they killed Naraku the first time, he had actually been injured and he used fuyoheki so that they thought he was actually dead. That had given him time to recover.

But his choice of location of recovery had been stupid. He had rested on a mountain. The mountain which was actually a demon. The demon who had been the original owner of the fuyoheki. The demon had taken back his crystal and tried to kill Naraku.

Of course he had failed, because by then Naraku had regained his strength.

But Naraku had lost the fuyoheki.

That was why it was so easy for Kouga to find him. Or his copy, rather.

And the one they had _thought_ was the real Naraku was actually just _another _copy. He was getting better with making copies, because they now had the exact same scent as the real Naraku, so it was literally impossible to tell the difference.

You never knew if you were fighting Naraku or a copy.

So for the past six year, Inuyasha had been running from copies.

But lately his thoughts had been drifting to Kagome… and the child. What had become of them? Were they alright?

He surveyed the area, noting the many changes. While the are around the tree and well had flourished, the area where the village had once lasted had remained a wasteland.

But his thoughts were interrupted then he noticed something. First the sound of crying and then the scent.

_Kagome! _

He quickly pushed pass the bushes to get to the girl, afraid that Naraku had followed him and would notice her presence.

He broke free of the overgrown weeds and looked to see who was sitting on the tree, where he had been pinned for fifty years,

He felt his heart twinge painfully. It wasn't Kagome. Being so stunned, he hadn't noticed that scent only bared a close resemblance to Kagome's.

The girl was now crying freely, her hair concealing her face and a hat on her head. She shook with each sob, crying out something that sounded like, "Mama…" and, "Where a-am I-I?" She didn't seem to notice the hanyou's arrival.

"Oi! Kid!" Inuyasha called, his voice holding no sympathy. He only cared about finding out who this kid was and why she smelled so much like Kagome.

The little girl looked up, her amber eyes meeting his. With her head up, he glanced quickly at the hat, noting it's familiarity. He dismissed the feeling and sawthat her right hand clutched something around her neck.

_He has ears! _She thought, excitedly. _And his eyes are the same colour as mine! _She inhaled quickly, but then looked away. _But mama told me not to talk to strangers…_

"Kid, I'm talking to you! What's your name?" He asked. Inuyasha never was one to be very sensitive.

She sniffled and looked at him. She felt oddly safe when he was around.

"M-Megumi…" She whispered. _He must be ok. He's the only one like me… _

"How'd you get here?" He questioned, glaring at her suspiciously_. Who is she? _He wondered.

"I f-fell down the w-well…" She pointed over to the well, which was very overgrown with weeds.

"W-What?" He demanded. "How did you get through the well!" He was nearly shouting now.

She cowered, frightened by this strange man and this strange world. She just wanted to go home. Even _if _it meant being made fun of.

"I f-fell… t-through the w-well… I wanna go home!" She cried, holding her face in her hands.

And then it hit him. He knew who this was.

_She's… She's my…_

But he couldn't finish the thought. It was too much. How did she get through the well? It just didn't make sense. That monk had sealed the well six years ago…

Unless… the jewel… had somehow…

"What are you holding?" He asked, in a much softer tone. He stepped closer to her, his face kind and concerned.

She glanced up at him and squeezed the necklace tighter.

"Mama's necklace… I… Took it…" She looked away, guiltily. "I-I know I s-shouldn't have

Inuyasha moved closer still and asked, "May I see it?"

She looked apprehensive but complied, feeling like she could trust this man. She opened her hand, revealing the glowing pink jewel.

He stared at the girl for a moment and then rushed forward and picked her up. He spun her around in happiness.

The girl was clearly distraught now. She fought to get away, but he only pulled her closer.

"Don't worry. I'll take you back to your home…" He said, merrily. He couldn't stop smiling, even though he knew this was no time for celebration. The well was open once more, which meant that Kagome and Megumi were in danger again.

But right now that didn't matter. All he cared about was talking more with the girl, so they could get to know each other. He was so happy right now, not even Naraku couldn't change his mood. He set her down on the ground and felt his heart sink when she back away from him. Of course, it was to be expected for the girl had no idea who he was. And he knew that, yet it hurt him. To know that he had missed out on so much of her life…

"It's alright, I wont hurt you…" He said with a comforting smile. The girl stared at him, still a little apprehensive but settled herself on the ground, still a little ways away from him. She nervously fidgeted and pulled her hat off, holding it tightly in her hands. Her mother had told her as long as she had it her father would always protect her. And even though this man had said he wouldn't hurt her… The hat still gave her a protective comfort.

Inuyasha watched as she took off the hat and suppressed a sigh of relief.

Those ears… It was undeniable, this really was his daughter.

"Megumi… Such a pretty name you have." He said, dreamily. He remembered the agreement Kagome and him had decided on all those years ago. If it had been a boy he could name it and if it had been a girl she would. He smiled, knowing Kagome had done a fine job in naming her. "How old are you?"

She counted six fingers and held them out.

"Six!" She stated, proudly, all uneasiness lost in the comfort this man had provided with his soft tone and friendliness..

_I can't believe it… _He thought, disgusted with himself. _I never thought I would have the chance to meet you… Six years was much too long. I should never have done this… _

He looked at Megumi and saw himself, in his youth, reflected in her eyes. That sense of incompletion due to growing up without a father.

He had done exactly what he had swore he would never do.

He let Megumi grow up without a father.

He made her suffer because he was too stupid to understand that Kagome, and Megumi, needed him. Kagome had always been willing to risk her life if only he could be there for Megumi.

But as he stared into her eyes, he realized another thing

_Don't dwell on the past. _

Six years had passed but there was nothing he could do to make up for the stupid mistakes he'd made. All he could do was learn from them and do his best for the future.

And so he decided that Megumi deserved an explanation…

"I remember about seven years ago when the woman I loved and I were going to have a baby… We decided if it was a girl, she could name it, and if it were a boy I could."

She looked at him with her big, round, amber eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"But then… Right after we had learned she was going to have a baby… Bad things happened and I had to leave. I could never go back, because if I did, I would put her and the baby in danger. So I stayed away, and I never knew whether the baby was a boy or a girl… What it's name was… Or if it had even been born at all."

Megumi stared at him, wondering why he was telling her this… And who he was…

But for some reason, though, this story seemed oddly familiar to the one her mother had told her that afternoon… She thought nothing of it and again waited for him to go on.

"And when I saw you… My questions… Were answered at once."

It took the girl a moment to understand what he meant and then she looked up at him once again, and whispered, "Otou-san?"

"Otou-san!" She cried. Her smalls arms reached out and grabbed him, clinging for all she was worth.

Finally, after all of her wishing, she knew who her father was.  
Her eyes filled with tears as she hugged him. She cried out of happiness, her heart filling with joy. Nothing would bring her down now. Not even the mean kids at school.

After she settled down a bit, she smiled at him and, with insight beyond her years, stated, "Now I understand why mommy has always been so sad. I thought it was my fault… But really, she just missed you. When you come back, it will be like finishing a puzzle. All the pieces will fit perfectly!" She beamed at him, satisfied with her declaration.

He stared at her in awe and remembered that night at the cabin, so long ago. He had thought the very same thing about himself…

He smiled back and hugged her.

"Your mother is going to be pretty worried. We'd better get you back home, ok?" He asked.

She nodded and motioned for him to pick her up and he did.

"Mommy will be so happy to see you!" She stated, gleefully. "But wait…" She grabbed the hat from her head and stuck it on her father's head. "Here you go. Mommy gave it to me and told me that if I wore it you would protect me.. But now that you are here, you can have it back. I don't need it anymore!" She explained.

He held her with one hand and with the other took the hat off his head and placed it back on hers.

"Nah, you keep it. I wont be needing it anymore…" His heart began to beat excitedly thinking of the reunion that was soon to come.

Holding onto Megumi tightly, they headed towards the well.

------

Kagome awoke an hour later feeling refreshed. She looked over to her clock and read 19:00 PM. Deciding she should get up, she reluctantly pulled the covers off and stood up. She stretched her arms and yawned.

Looking around the room, she noticed Megumi was gone.

_Must've woken up and gone downstairs, _she thought. She put a sweater on and turned to leave.

As she was walking out of the room, something on her desk caught her eye. She strolled over to the desk and saw the prophecy, which was laying in plain sight.

_But it was in the drawer… I'm positive…_

She pulled out the chair and sat down.

_I guess it wouldn't hurt to look at it…_

"Show me the next step, please." She muttered, sarcastically. She was positive nothing would show up.

But to her complete surprise, words appeared on the paper.

_Together, the chosen one, her parents, and friends will launch a successful assault against the dark one._

_But the dark one has taken the six years to expand his powers to the point where death is no longer a concern._

_Working together, the chosen one and the keeper will discover the path to the dark one's destruction. _

"W-What!" She exclaimed, grabbing the paper and rereading the six lines. "I-I don't u-understand…" Her mind raced frantically, and she decided she should review the last step, to be sure that it had been completed.

"S-Show m-me the l-last step…" She stuttered, trying to calm herself.

_Though still badly wounded, the hanyou will assemble forces of the most unlikely individuals. Together, they will set aside their differences in order to crusade against the dark one. Though this attempt, in theory, will seem adequate, it will fail miserably. For without the chosen one, the dark one will never be overthrown._

_Six years it will take. Six years of hardship and endless battles for the hanyou._

_But he will live. _

_And through a miracle of the jewel, father and daughter will be reunited._

_I must have missed the last part! _She thought.

"I'm such an idiot!" She cried, banging her fists on the desk in frustration. "Six years and I never checked it! How could I be so stupid?"

She reread the last part of the previous step again and realized something.

"Six years?" She whispered aloud. It had been six years since the well was sealed… Six years since Megumi had been born…

"Megumi!" She half-shouted, jumping out her chair and bounding down the stairs. She reached the bottom and shouted, "Sango-chan!"

The taijiya came running into the room and said, "What? What's wrong?"

"Where's Megumi? Have you seen her?" Kagome's face was flushed and she was panting."No… I thought she was with you." Sango replied, as Miroku and her mother came into the room.

"Mama… Miroku-sama… Have you seen Megumi?" She asked, worriedly.

Both shook their heads and asked Sango what was wrong with her. Sango merely shrugged and tried to question her more.

Kagome ignored her friends' questions and ran into the living room, asking Shippo or Souta if they'd seen Megumi. Both said they hadn't and Kagome cried out in worry.

Her hand shot up to her chest, trying to grab onto the jewel, which had always given her comfort. But she couldn't find it. Her hand only held the locket. The jewel was gone!

"Kagome-chan? Where's the jewel?" Sango questioned, seeing that her friend couldn't find it.

"No…" Kagome said, realizing that the previous step of the prophecy really had been completed. The girl pushed past Miroku and her mother and ran to the backdoor.

Her friends followed quickly behind her, anxious and worried.

She pushed the door opened and rushed to get to the well house, but stopped, dead in her tracks.

"I-Inuyasha?"

* * *

Oden - Basically this is fish stew. It's made of cuttle-fish, hard boiled eggs, radish, kelp, seaweed, turnips, rice dumplings, and other varying ingrdients are used to make this dish. All the ingredients are slowly simmered for a long time in a broth. In Japan you can often get this from yatai street vendors. Yatai are street stalls that open in the evening until late at night. They sell roasted sweet potatoes, noddles, soup, stew or barbecued food. They are very popular._  
_

Hehe evil cliffy! -devilish laugh- I thought that little bit with the hat, as well as the confrontation between mother and daughter on the subject of Megumi's father was needed. I mean, any little girl would be curious. This also helped to show what a special child she really is. Being able to see her mother's pain and know enough to ignore her own curiosity.

**-Kellai-chan-**


	15. Chapter 15 The Reunion

Ok, I must say I do really love this chapter. It's just so... eep! I dont know.. But I really like it. Hopefully everyone else does too :D.

Have fun reading :)!

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Chapter 15 - The Reunion

"I-Inuyasha?" She whispered, her hands trembling. Her eyes remained fixed on the hanyou, her face expressionless.

She must be dreaming. There was no other explanation. She'd never woken up from the nap. She'd never looked at the prophecy. Megumi hadn't been missing. **This was all a dream**.

But then she felt something wet hit her arm and she looked up.

It was raining.

She stared at the dark sky and felt the droplets caress her face. They hit her with a small splash and slid down her chin, falling to the ground. A dream had never felt so _real._

"Mama!"

The sound awoke Kagome from her thoughtful state. She looked down and saw Megumi running towards her. The little girl grabbed onto her mother's skirt and looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

"Mama!" She cried again. She pulled on her mother's skirt, her face a mixture of happiness and guilt.

Kagome suddenly realized that she wasn't dreaming. It was all too real.

She blinked and looked down at her daughter, immediately remembering what had happened. She bent down and cradled the girl.

"Are you alright?" She asked, worriedly, brushing away the girl's tears.

Megumi sniffled and mumbled, "Hai…" She let go of her mother and pulled the jewel off her neck.

"Gomen nasai…" She said, offering it back to her mother.

Kagome took the jewel and placed it back around her neck, a sense of relief rushing through her. Her arms quickly found their way around the girl, picking her up.

She hugged her tightly and said, "Don't worry. I'm not angry." Her voice sounded calm and peaceful. This little girl shouldn't have to feel the sorrow and anger of her mother.

She held Megumi for some time, standing in the rain, dreading ever having to put her down and confront him.

It had been six years after all.

Of course she still loved him. It wasn't a matter of _that._ It was just… How could she forgive him?

Right when she had needed him most he hadn't been there! As much as she wanted to throw everything away and run to him, she couldn't. Not after all the pain he had caused her. He'd changed her life and then left. He'd been so selfish!

------

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, his eyes pleading with her.

_Forgive me! Please forgive me! _His mind screamed. He seemed to have lost his voice. His throat dry and his heart beating wildly.

_Why is she just standing there? _He wondered.But he had known the answer before he'd even wondered.

_She's angry… _

_She must hate me…_

He could feel the rain hitting him, soaking his clothes and hair. It was cold, very cold. But that didn't matter. He only cared about one thing now.

He looked to her, his heart breaking. She wouldn't look him in the eyes. Had he really hurt her that much?

_Please… Forgive me…_

_------_

Kagome glanced up at him once for a very short period of time, noting the pain in his eyes. She ignored the ache in her heart and followed her mind and turned away, tears falling from her eyes.

She could sense his sadness, but she couldn't face him. She just wasn't strong enough.

Her feet carried her back to the house, where her mother, Sango, and Miroku stood. All looked at her in awe.

"Mama!" Megumi cried. "What are you doing!"

Kagome looked down at her daughter and said, "Megumi… Go with Obaa-san."

Kagome's mother quickly ran forward and took Megumi from her, mumbling something about catching a cold.

Kagome brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and stared blankly ahead. Her heart was screaming at her to go back. But her mind told her that if she did it would only cause more pain. She bit her lip, trying to cease that aching throb in her chest.

Sango stepped forward, towards Kagome, saying something. But Kagome was frozen, her heart and mind waging war.

Just as Sango grabbed her arm, to get her attention, she closed her eyes, and turned away.

Everything moved in slow motion as Kagome ran. She felt the rain pelting her skin, like thousands of tiny daggers. But she had become numb to the pain. Mud splashed about her, coating her feet and legs.

It seemed like an eternity, but she finally reached him.

Her sensed returned to her and she became fully aware of how much she longed for him... For his touch...

She threw her arms around him, more tears falling from her eyes. But this time they were tears of happiness.

"Kagome…" He murmured, "I'm so sorry…" He pulled her tighter, trying to shield her from the rain.

She sniffled and looked up at him, her eyes showing forgiveness.

"I don't care!" She whispered, taking his hands and holding them. "I'm just so happy you're back…That you're alive…" She smiled weakly at him, every second in the freezing rain draining her strength.. She shivered violently. "I thought you were gone… For good."

But even though she was in pain, she never wanted this moment to end. It was a dream come true.

"You didn't think I'd abandon you, did you? How could I? I love you, Kagome, " He reassured her.

He smiled at her, his hands covering hers, rubbing them gently, to keep them warm.

"I know…" She replied quietly, "It was just… It's been six years…" Her voice cracked and she buried her face in his chest, sobbing. " 'Go away…' I thought those would be my last words to you."

"I'm sorry… I didn't want to leave like that… But I thought it would be less hard on you if you… If you didn't love me anymore."

Kagome stopped crying and stared at him with wide eyes.

"What?" She whispered, her eyes filling with more tears. "You think a little fight like that would make me not love you anymore? Inuyasha… I know you don't hate me. I was just overreacting." He nodded in shame, realizing how stupid he had been.

"Inuyasha…" She whispered. "Nothing… Absolutely nothing could destroy my love for you. You need to understand, I will love you forever."

Megumi, who had been trying to pull away from her grandmother, finally succeeded, and dashed over to where they were standing. She wrapped her arms around her parent's legs and smiled at them.

"See otou-san!" She stated. "I told you mama would be happy!"

Inuyasha patted the little girl's head lovingly and released Kagome to pick her up. He smiled at Kagome, and she wrapped her arm around him

"Let's go inside…" Inuyasha said, deciding staying out in the cold rain would not be a great idea..

Kagome reluctantly nodded. Before beginning to walk, she stood up on her the tips of her feet and kissed him on the cheek.

"I cant believe you came back." She whispered, her eyes soft and welcoming.

He put his arm around her, holding Megumi tightly with his other, and they quickly made their way back to the house.

And as they walked back, Kagome was filled with the same sense of hope and courage she had felt when Megumi was born. She was on top of the world. She could do anything now! Just as her life had fallen to pieces, it was put back together. They could now be a family. Everything was as it should have been.

Except… Naraku….and the prophecy…

But she didn't have to worry about that now. Their would be plenty of time for it later.

For now she should just be happy and relieved that Megumi was safe and Inuyasha was back.

When they reached the door, Inuyasha set Megumi down. Sango ran forward and hugged him. She knew how much this meant to Kagome, and to all of them.

"You're back!" She stated joyfully.

Miroku ran forward and said, "Welcome back, Inuyasha!" He patted the hanyou on the back and opened the door for the group.

Everyone hurried inside, eager to get out the cold.

Mrs Higurashi rushed towards Kagome and Inuyasha and gave them towels. Soon the towels were soaked and Kagome's mother replaced them with two fresh ones.

"Dry yourselves off as best as you can. Then sit down. I think you both have some explaining to do." She stated matter-of-factly. But she didn't mean explaining to her, she meant explaining to each other. She turned away and began to boil water.

"Hai, mama." Kagome said, still shivering. She laid the towel down on a chair, and walked into the living room. She sat on the couch, and her mother brought in steaming cups of _cha. _

Kagome wrapped a blanket around Megumi and rubbed the girl's hair with towel. It became messy and Kagome did her best to flatten it down, but soon gave up, the task nearly impossible. She pulled a blanket around herself, and accepted the tea.

"Arigato!" She said, gratefully, shivering slightly.

Inuyasha sat down beside her He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

Sango sat down opposite them with Miroku beside her. Shippo sat in a chair with. Souta beside him. Mrs Higurashi took her seat beside Sango.

Kagome sipped the tea and rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Inuyasha… I think you really owe us," She motioned to Sango, Miroku, and mostly Kagome, "An explanation."

Kagome looked a little hesitant. She hadn't told Megumi anything about the other era… How could she even begin to right now?

Her mother seemed to understand and said, "Well… That can wait for a moment. Megumi-chan? I think it's time you took a bath, before you catch a cold, ok?"

"But… I want to spend more time with Otou-san…" She half-whined, her face set in a pout.

Her grandmother smiled, wanting to comply with the child's request. Considering she had only met her father for the first time in her life hours ago it seemed unfair to be taking her away. But it was all for the best.

"And you will… But for now, you need a bath… It will be a quick one and you'll be back down here before you know it!" Her grandmother smiled warmly and Megumi could only give in.

She stood up to leave, but before exiting the room she looked at her father and instructed, "Don't go anywhere before I come back!"

He nodded and watched Kagome's mother take her upstairs to the bathroom.

And then he told them.

He explained why he had left and what he had spent the six years doing. He talked about Naraku's continually growing strength and the temporary ally between Sesshomauru, Kouga, and himself.

When he finished he apologized again to Kagome, knowing that even if she forgave him, he could never forgive himself.

"Inuyasha! I told you. You're back, that's all that matters!" Kagome insisted.

He sighed and nodded, turning his gaze to the floor.

"But what will we do about Naraku?" Asked Miroku.

"Yeah, what about Naraku?" Shippo added.

"I…I don't know… I guess all we can do is try to follow the steps of the prophecy…" Kagome replied.

"Prophecy?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Oi!" Kagome exclaimed. "The Prophecy!" Then she explained about Miroku having the prophecy all along and all it had told her.

"But the interesting thing is, when I woke up, the scroll was lying right on my desk. I mean, I know I had put it in my drawer. So I just thought whatever and look at it and it revealed the next step… That's why I came running down the stairs looking for Megumi… It must be fate…"

Miroku nodded solemnly in understanding.

"But Kagome-chan… Did you miss the previous step, because you said it could not be completed!" Sango said.

"When I read the last step six years ago, I missed the end." She stated through clenched teeth. She was still angry at herself.

"What did it say, Kagome-sama?" Questioned Miroku.

"It told me that six years would pass and then," She gulped and a tear slid down her face. "Through a miracle of the jewel… Father and daughter would be reunited…" She smiled happily, and leaned her head on the hanyou's shoulder, her hand holding his.

Inuyasha smiled and looked down at her. Then he remembered something.

"Kagome… There's something I have to tell you. It's got to do with this prophecy." She quickly looked up at him and everyone's attention was on the hanyou. "I think it was the second battle with Naraku… He finally realized that the well had been sealed and that you were out of his reach… He mentioned the prophecy and he said that it was Kikyo who had told him."

"Yes I know that… I sort of guessed that she had done it out of spite for me…" Kagome looked down.

"But that's the funny thing… She didn't. She actually resisted him. Before she… left this world and before the battle with Naraku, he had managed to trap her. He had gotten wind of this 'prophecy' that she had apparently kept when she'd been alive before. He forced her to tell him as much as she knew…"

"She didn't… Just tell on her own? He forced her?" Kagome's mind was racing.

_But Kikyo always acted as if she hated me… Why would she do that? _She wondered.

_Maybe… She wasn't as cold as I always thought she was…_

"Yes, but in any case, it appears she managed to keep the fact that Megumi is the 'chosen one' and will be able to see into Naraku's mind."

Kagome put a hand over her mouth. _It doesn't make sense… Why would she try and protect us? _She wanted to ask Inuyasha, but still felt a little uneasy about the subject. She just didn't understand.

"Kagome, I don't know why she did it but… We can only be thankful, I guess." He said, as if having read her mind. She nodded and the room became silent for a moment.

Miroku's gaze shifted to Sango, the familiar perverted glint in his eyes.

Sango noticed and shuddered. _After six years, you think he would have learned! _She thought, irritably.

"Houshi-sama…" She said seductively, "We may be married, but that doesn't give you the right…" She leaned toward him staring deeply in his eyes. "To be such a hentai."

-SLAP-

Miroku raised his hand up to his cheek and held it there.

"Sango… Even if it through a slap, I am still content to feel your touch…"

Sango stood up, her eye twitching, and shuddered. Her fists were curled into angry balls at her sides.

"You'll never learn!" She sighed angrily, and left the room.

"Nani? What did I do?" He asked innocently, following Sango out of the room.

"See Inuyasha? Even with six years in Kagome's time and marriage, Miroku is still a pervert!" Shippo stated.

"Well I couldn't have expected anything different." Inuyasha laughed.

"Nee-chan? What are you doing?" Asked Souta, noticing his sister fiddling with something around her neck.

"Here Inuyasha. You should have this back." She held the locket out to him. He took it from her and clipped it around his neck. He stared at Kagome, his eyes soft and comforting.

"I'm happy to be back…" He murmured, as Megumi came running into the room, and crawled up onto her father's lap. Kagome's mother followed closely after the child.

"Otou-sama…" She whispered, as she laid her head against his chest. Her right arm held his neck tightly and her left arm was holding onto her mother. "Are you staying?"

Inuyasha smiled.

"Hai…" He replied simply. "I'll never leave you again." He promised.

"Good… Cause I don't want you to go away, ok?"

"You don't have to worry about that." He said, his hand rubbing her back gently. He looked at Kagome, suddenly smirking.

_"_Kagome?" He asked quietly, a slight grin on his face.

"Mhm?" She replied, gently playing with her daughter's hair.

"Can I have some ramen?" He looked at her with a pout on his face.

She abruptly picked up Megumi and walked to the doorway. She turned to face him and smiled happily. Megumi stared on, confused.

Shippo and Souta quickly hurried out of the room, sensing Kagome was about to explode.

"Inuyasha…" She replied, sweetly.

An awkward silence followed before…

"OSUWARI!"

The hanyou crashed into the ground and Kagome walked off, muttering, "They always have to spoil a good moment. Men are such pigs!" Megumi held onto her mother and stuck her tongue out, playfully, at her father.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called from the hole in the floor. "Get back here! I'm hungry!"

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:) Cute, no? I liked it. I think it's better now.. than what I had before I mean. I also added the information about Kikyo. Ties in with Naraku's little bit in a previous chapter.

Well, see ya all on the next chapter :D.

**-Kellai-chan-**


	16. Chapter 16 Explanations

Okedokes. Here ya'll go!  
This chapter is interesting... I tried to really get Megumi's character down. I have to keep reminding myself that she's only 6. So it's hard to give a correct reaction from her to certain things regarding Naraku and her heritage... Hope its all right.

-Happy Reading-

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Chapter 16 - Explanations

After much consideration, the group decided it would be best if they remained in Kagome's time for a few more days. Much preparation would be needed for the upcoming journey. Plus there was still the issue of revealing everything to Megumi.

But most of all… No one was anxious to leave.

It was a quiet Saturday morning and Kagome, Megumi and Sango were outside. Sango was seated under Goshinboku watching Kagome and Megumi practising archery.

"Your aim's getting better, Megumi-chan!" Sango commented cheerfully. She watched as the little girl took aim again, the long bow looking ridiculously large in her hands, and released the arrow, sending it zooming across the yard. It hit the target, a little off from the centre.

"Megumi, you're getting so good!" Kagome told her, a proud smile on her face.

"Arigato, Mama…" Megumi replied happily. She beamed at her mother with pride. But her smile quickly faded. "But… Why do I have to do this?"

At first, archery had been fun. She liked the silence and the way it came so naturally to her. It was like this sport was made for her.

But soon her mother had made her perform the same drills over and over again. She was tired and wanted to sit down. Her hands were sore and blisters were starting to form. She wasn't going to shoot anymore… Unless her mother gave her a good reason.

"I wanna know!" She whined. Her arms ached and her head was pounding from standing in the hot sun all morning.

Kagome and Sango exchanged nervous glances, both unsure of what to tell the child.

How could you explain to a six year old that you were about to go rage war against the fiercest demon in all of the Sengoku Jidai? And that she was your main hope in defeating the demon.

"Megumi…" Kagome whispered. "Let's take a break."

The pair put the bows and arrows down and walked over to where Sango was sitting.

Megumi sat beside her mother and awaited an explanation. She crossed her arms over her chest, a stubborn, yet defiant look on her face.

_It's scary how much she resembles Inuyasha, _Sango thought.

"There's something you need to know first…" Kagome said. But she paused, unsure of how to phrase it. But then an idea hit her. _Wait! I know… _"Your ears…" She brushed her hand on the top of her daughters head, rubbing them gently. "And you're claws…" She held her small hands, her own quivering slightly. "I wanted to wait until you were older…But…"

"Okaa-san! I want to know!" Megumi demanded, her grip on her mother's hands tightening. "Please…" Her face was set in a defiant pout.

Kagome couldn't beat around it any longer. She had to get it out! It was only right her daughter know her heritage and understand the danger she was in.

So she gave in.

"Do you know why your father has the same features as you? Why you both have ears?"

Megumi shook her head.

"He's a hanyou. Part demon. And so are you."

It took a minute for Megumi to fully understand what her mother had told her. She went off into a daze, trying to grasp the idea.

"Ha-n-you?" She whispered. She'd heard it somewhere but couldn't quite remember where… "Wait… Youkai!"

Then it hit her. Hanyou… The word she had heard in so many fairy tales. Stories about a human a youkai having a half demon child!

"Hanyou? Half-demon? I'm part demon?"Thoughts swirled around in her head trying to come up with different explanations, none which made much sense.

_But demons don't exist! They're only in stories… _She knew she was different, but…

"_Hanyou…_" She whispered, seeing how it fit.

And suddenly. everything made sense. All the stories she had read about the feudal age, and demons… She wasn't a half demon, she was only quarter… But that explained the ears and the claws… And the eyes!

"Your father…He's from the Sengoku Jidai… I met him when I fell through the well. We travelled around, fighting demons and piecing together this." She pulled out the sparkling jewel at which Megumi looked away in guilt. She still felt bad for what she had done.

_The well! _She wondered curiously. _I fell down it! Did I travel to the Sengoku Jidai?_

"Mama?" She asked quietly, her heart beat racing.

"Yes?" Came the reply.

"D-Did I go there? When… When I fell into the well?" Megumi whispered, her amber eyes sparkling.

"Hai."

It took a moment to sink in. She was now piecing things together. The jewel she had stolen from her mother was the sacred Shikon no Tama, the jewel of four souls. The jewel she had thought only existed in legends and dreams.

Then she had fallen down the well and ended up in the Sengoku Jidai, a place where youkai and oni still existed. And there she'd met her otou-san, who had left…

_Wait… Left?_ She thought.

"Okaa-san? Why did I meet otou-san there? Why wasn't he here?" Megumi asked. This was something she had wondered ever since she could remember. Even when her mother had given her the hat, which was still on her head now, she had resisted asking. But now, with him back, she felt it ok to ask.

Kagome picked up the little girl and walked over to Goshinboku.

"See that little mark there?" She pointed to it, her hand running over the bark of the withered tree. "In the past, your otou-san was shot with an arrow by a lady who was protecting the jewel. He stayed there for fifty years, until I went back in time and freed him. The lady that shot him was named Kikyo-sama. She had fallen in love with him, but then died protecting the jewel."

Kagome no longer had any problems discussing Kikyo. She felt that everything was over with. Kikyo had passed into the other world and was no longer wandering around the world of the living.

"Why would she shoot him if she loved him?" Megumi asked, curiously.

"Becau-" Kagome started before she was interrupted.

"Because the jewel makes people do very strange things." Inuyasha told the girls, putting his arm around Kagome, who jumped in surprise when he came up behind them. "And someone had tricked us both."

"But you love Okaa-san now, right?" The girl wondered, her face distraught with worry.

"Of course." He reassured her, and Kagome looked at him lovingly. "And I love you too. Don't forget that." He patted the girl on the head and then knelt down beside Sango, needing to ask her a few questions.

"But why was otou-san never here?" The girl pressed on, needing to know the answers.

"Wel-" Again Kagome was cut off by Inuyasha.

"For every legend there's always a bad guy." He had finished his conversation with Sango, who went back to the house, and now was giving his full attention to making sure that his daughter knew exactly what they were up against…. Even if he didn't…

"And this bad guy wanted to kill your okaa-san and me. He even came all the way here." Inuyasha stated bluntly.

"But why would he want to kill you?" She gasped, horrified at the thought of not having any parents.

"He wanted the jewel."

"But why would someone want to kill another person?" She asked, unable to grasp the thought of ending another person's life.

"Because he is a horrible person. He thinks its fun to hurt people..."

Megumi grabbed onto her mother's shirt and buried her face within it.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed. "You're scaring her!"

"Well, she needs to know, Kagome!" He told her angrily.

"You're so insensitive! She's only a little girl." Kagome shot back.

"I don't care! She needs to be prepared!" He argued.

"Just because you grew up a fighter doesn't mean she has to!"

"What do you want, then? You want Naraku to kill her? Or to kill us all?"

Megumi pulled herself away from her mother and jumped up onto a branch of the Goshinboku. She covered her ears. Why did they have to fight?

She didn't seem to notice how high up she was …

After the noise got unbearable, Megumi shouted, "STOP!"

Kagome and Inuyasha both looked up, spotting the girl on the branch.

"Megumi! Come down here!" Kagome shouted.

"No! Not if you keep fighting!" She cried.

And for once, they did.

"Inuyasha, I'm-" She started, but was yet _again_ interrupted.

"No, Kagome, I'm sorry. I just don't want anything bad to happen to her, or you." He explained, picking her up.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He jumped up into the tree and sat down beside Megumi, placing Kagome beside him.

"I don't like it when you fight." Megumi whispered. She leaned her head against her father and held his hand.

"I know… And I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you get hurt, ok?" Inuyasha asked, cuddling the little girl.

"Ok…" She mumbled, closing her eyes and basking in the warmth of her parent's love. Then she remembered what they had been explaining before. "Otou-san?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Who's Naraku?" She asked innocently. She had heard her father mention his name before. He had said it with such hatred and disgust, it must be somebody bad.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha sighed.

_What do I tell her? _Kagome wondered helplessly.

"He's… Well… He's the bad guy that tried to kill me and your otou-san… And you, before you were born." Kagome paused to allow it all to sink it.

How could a six year old even begin to comprehend that someone… Someone she didn't even know, wants her dead.

"Megumi… You're a very special girl…" Kagome shifted her gaze downward and stared at the ground below. 'There's a legend about a prophecy… A piece of paper that will help us greatly to destroy the bad person who is trying to hurt us…"

Megumi shifted slightly, feeling little uneasy of what her parents would tell her next. Though she really wouldn't be very surprised considering everything else she had just taken in.

"But only I can read it… It's a magical paper… When we complete all the steps you'll… Well…You'll be able to see into the bad person's mind…" Kagome broke off, not sure she could continue. Every time Naraku's name was mentioned, she became very emotional. After all, it was that _bastard_ that had caused all of this… All of her pain!

"Naraku no yarou…" Inuyasha cursed, which he received a smack on the head from Kagome.

"You have such a filthy mouth…" She muttered, smiling slightly.

Megumi stared at the house, her gaze distant and disconnected. She tried hard to understand it all. She tried. She really did.

Although her mind subconsciously dismissed it all as a joke, she could hear something. Something in the deepest parts of her heart telling her that is was true. She was the daughter of hanyou from the feudal Japan and a human with miko powers from the present Japan. And there was a man who was committing his life to killing them all. And there was a magical paper that gave steps that would allow her to see into this person's mind.

Her face burst into a smile and she believed them. How could it not be true? It made too much sense. And all along, growing up, she had known that she was different. Not just her appearances, but her heritage. She was _special. _She was _unique! _And she was different.

But in a good way!

"Okaa-san?" Megumi smiled happily and rubbed her ears, for once accepting herself for what she was. Not once in all her life had she been happier than this. If only she could stay in this moment forever.

But alas, time goes on.

"Should we get started… Um…" She said in a typical cute six year old's voice. "I mean looking at the… Uh… Prophecy."

Kagome and Inuyasha seemed a little taken back by the question. Not only had Megumi taken all the news _very_ well, but she wanted to get started on plans for Naraku's demise. Things were turning out rather good.

"Hm… Hai, I guess. The sooner the better…" Kagome was lost in thought for a moment, but Inuyasha picked her up and jumped out of the tree. Megumi stared down at her parents, wondering how she was supposed to get down.

"Otou-san! Okaa-san! Help!" She cried. She wasn't very good with heights. She hadn't really been paying attention when she had jumped up here in the first place. She had just wanted to get away from the fighting. Now she was starting to wish she had stayed on the ground.

"Megumi, just jump down like I did." Inuyasha instructed, much to Kagome's dismay. She quietly asked what he was doing. "I'm testing her. If she can't jump down from the tree, she certainly isn't ready to face Naraku."

Megumi's hands gripped the branch tightly, her claws digging into. Her entire body was tense. As she looked down, the ground seemed to become a lot further away.

"You can do it, Megumi!" Kagome assured her.

_I can do it… _Megumi thought confidently. _I can do it! _She looked down again. _Oh, I can't do it!_

As she looked into the disappointed face of her father, she realized what this was.

He was testing her. If she couldn't jump from here, how could she ever hope to face someone who's been bent on killing her since before she was born.

"I have to try!"She whispered boldly. She got into a squat and looked at the ground, towards her parents. With a quick inhale she pounced off the limb of the tree, moving in slow motion, feeling suspended in air for a few seconds before…

-CRASH-

She collided with her father, who was certainly not expecting it. They fell to the ground, Megumi laughing and crying out in joy, and Inuyasha covered in dirt and dust, obviously happy for the girl, but a little peeved about the location of her landing.

Megumi hugged her father tightly and jumped off him, prancing around the yard, proud of herself.

Kagome picked up the girl and swung her around.

"I knew you could do it!" She exclaimed, cheerfully. She let the girl down and she ran over to her father.

"I'm so proud of you!" He told her, "but we still have a bit to work on, ok?"

She nodded excitedly and grabbed both of her parent's hands. She had conquered her fear of heights! She still had training to do but it would all be easy from here. If she just believed in herself, everything was possible.

_Ha! _She thought spitefully, _I'll get you for trying to hurt me and my parents! I wont let you hurt us anymore!_

_I'll get you Naraku!_

* * *

That was pretty good I think: ) Hope you all liked it!

And once again... THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS -heart- YOU ARE AWESOME! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!

Much love!

**-Kellai-chan-**


	17. Chapter 17 The Dream

Ehhh... Gomen gomen gomen!

I am so sorry! It has been much to long!  
I never should have gone this long without updating.

There has just been so much freaking school work and I have been so worried about exams and year end projects I commpletly forgot about updating. But now that summer is here I can update all the time! yay! I'm planning on uploading all the chapters again because I have edited a lot and changed some things.

Well.. There is so much to talk about!  
Omg! THe new Inuyasha video game is AMAZING! It was just released in Japan a while ago and I really dont want it to come North America because they will ruin it like they did with the other game T.T. Ugh and Viz got ahold of the third movie. T.T sometime this summer it will be out. How depressing.

Well I went to Anime North again and had a blast. If you were there, I was Dr Jackel in a Get Backers skit in the Masquerade. I was the one in the back with the long black trench coat who hit the other two with bread D;;;! No one really liked our skit, a little to random and strange for everyone, but I thought it was effing hilarious. I mean, hitting people with bread! doesnt get much better than that. I cosplayed as a J-rocker, Bubbles from the PPG anime, and Razzly from Chrono Cross for which I recieved an Anime North Hall Costume award. Yays!

Now for more Inuyasha info. There was this great chapter recently in the manga. I'm not sure of the title, "nice guy" or something... hehe.. But Inuyasha met Kagome's friends (again)... KAWAII DESU NE? It was amazing. I was squealing so much when I read it that my mom came upstairs and was like "Are you alright?" P Hahaha!  
I finally have aaaaaaaaaall of the Inuyasha CDs (all 14 of them.. I think there are 14...lol i should count my collection.. well minus the new character cds and drama cds.. have to wait for a couple weeks for them.) There is this amazing song on the best of movie OSTs cd. Its the last track, a bonus one. Made me cry when I listened to it... Jeez I'm such a sap XD. Omg! I got manga 38! the one where Kagura dies! It is so sad... _sigh _I really do love her. I also got one of the shonen sunday Inuyasha specials. Oh and I got some more Inuyasha posters! I really have no room for them anymore. My walls are filled with them .. hehe XP And my friend got me more for my birthday.. I have no where to put them P I'll have to start pinning them to my forehead or something. lol

Well I saw Howl's moving castle. IT WAS SOOOOOO GOOD! Howl is my new Jakotsu... Hey I havent talked about Jako-chan much on here. Well, let me begin with HE IS MINE, FAN GIRLS(or boys) BACK OFF AND BEWARE MY EVIL FIERY WRATH P. Ok, so Jakotsu may not like women, hey thats ok with me. I'd get a sex change for him any day. XP! Anyway, I hope you all know who Jakotsu is. he's the yaoi boy from Inuyasha. He was in the Shichinintai (which were resurected by Naraku) and he liked Inuyasha. Man, he is one heck of a hottie. and he is mine -heart- _huggles jakotsu. _BTW my nick for him is Jako-chan and you randomly find me ranting/going on and on about him you will know who I mean. P

Well, I sucessfully graduated from my Japanese class. I have finished Level 1 and I am semi fluent in Japanese. It's great but it also sucks cause I have to go through the fic and find all my Japanese mistakes.

_-sigh_- lol oh well.

I've also taken down my song fic version of chapter 15. I really got sick of it. It wasnt very good. Sorry to any who actually liked it.. P

Well, let me allow you to read this chapter. enough of my ramblings!  
Let me just say I really like this chapter and there is going to be a hell of a lot of stuff with Naraku coming up. I assure you that. You guys are going to love what i've got planned.. Well love or hate.. but it will probably turn out good in the end.. Anyway!

Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 17 - The Dream

_**Megumi slowly opened her eyes, waiting a moment for them to adjust.**_

_**But all she could see was darkness. **_

_**Her eyes darted around, straining to see something… Anything… **_

_**She attempted to turn her head, but couldn't. She tried to get up, to move her arm but her body would not respond. It was almost as if she trapped within someone else's body.**_

_**"No! Get away from me!" A woman screamed, startling her. Finally, through the darkness she saw the faint shape of a young girl, not much larger than herself, holding a mirror. In the mirror she saw two people. A young woman that reminded her of her mother and a man with long, wavy black hair. **_

_**The woman's wrists were held in shackles that were chained to the wall. Her body hung from the chains, weak and powerless. **_

_**The man moved toward the woman, his arm outstretched. He grabbed her chin and jerked her head to look at him. She stared at him with contempt, her eyes full of hate.**_

_**He leaned in, his face inches from hers and whispered, "I wonder what your hanyou, Inuyasha, would think if you came back smelling of his enemy?" She stared at him in horror and pulled her face away. **_

_**"Inuyasha will come and he will destroy you, Naraku. You disgusting, filthy-"**_

_**The sound of a slap rang throughout, what Megumi now assumed was, the dungeon. **_

_**Tears began to fall from the woman's eyes as the man's hand caressed her cheek. He stared into her eyes, enjoying the fear he saw. He leaned closer, his hand trailing a path down her neck. She could feel his hand drawing ever closer to her breasts. She tried to lean back as his face drew closer. **_

_**Feeling the cold of the dungeon wall behind her, the woman closed her eyes and Megumi saw her jaw tense.**_

_**The man pressed his lips against hers and she cried out in disgust, flailing her arms and legs wildly while trying to break the kiss. **_

_**With a flick of his hand, more chains appeared, holding her legs and torso to the stone wall.**_

_**Finally the man pulled away, his hand still lingering on her chest, a look of pleasure in his eyes. More tears fell from her eyes, as she continued to struggle to get away from him.**_

_**"Now you're precious hanyou will never take you back. He will discard you like the trash you are, priestess." He said, a grin beginning to form on his face. The woman looked at him, her eyes blank, and spit in his face.**_

_**Again, he slapped her, this time with more force. Megumi could see a bruise beginning to form on the woman's cheek.**_

_**"In time, you will learn to obey me, wench."**_

_"That will do, Kanna." A voice ordered, though Megumi felt as if it had come from her mouth. She began to get very frightened as she realized the voice was the same man from the mirror._

_The scene in the mirror faded and the girl walked away. _

_"Excellent." The voice said. "Now that the well is open, my plans may be put into motion."_

I will send a demon to keep Inuyasha busy and then I will take the priestess and the child, _he thought. _

_Megumi desperately tried to move her arms to get rid of the voice that was inside her head but could not._

I will steal the jewel and kill the child. The priestess may prove more useful though. We'll see exactly how much it will take to break her spirit. Only then shall I be truly unstoppable.

_The man began to laugh, the sound evil_

_Megumi tried to scream, but once again, found she couldn't.. She tried kicking her legs but they just wouldn't move. And then…_

"Megumi!" A voice called. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinded by the morning sunshine. She saw her mother's face and relief flooded into her. She began to cry and grabbed onto Kagome.

"Megumi… What's wrong? Are you alright?" Her mother asked, cradling the girl and slowly rocking her back and forth.

Inuyasha came running into the room and hurried to Kagome and Megumi.

"Nani?" He asked, worriedly. "What happened?"

"I don't know.. I was just sitting at my desk when Megumi started screaming and kicking." She explained. "I think she was having a nightmare. " Looking down at the girl, she added, "Do you want to tell us about it?"

Megumi rubbed her eyes and looked at her mother, realizing what the nightmare was. She remembered how yesterday her mother had explained that when the steps on this 'magical paper' were completed, she would be able to see into this bad person's mind. That was what the dream was. She had seen this bad man while he was watching the mirror.

"Okaa-san…" She said, quietly.

"Yes, Megumi?" Kagome asked, anxiously.

"I had a nightmare… And I saw you and this man… Through a mirror. But the man wasn't otou-san…" She began, starting to tremble. "He... He was really mean and he slapped you and made you kiss him. T-Then he said that otou-san would never want you back..."

Kagome put a hand to her lips, her face taking on a look of disgust.

"That sick bastard…" She gasped, already positive of the man's identity.

"Megumi, what did the man look like?" Inuyasha asked quickly, needing to confirm his assumption.

Megumi hands tightened into fists as she recalled the appearance of the man.

"H-He had wavy black hair… It went down to his waist almost… A-And he was w-wearing a dark coloured kimono… And his voice was so… scary!" She buried her face in her mother's shirt and began to cry.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a shocked expression. Kagome tried to console the girl, but felt as if her world was falling apart, once again. She felt the familiar urge to cry, but did her best to suppress it, if only for her daughter.

After a moment of silence Kagome asked, "What should we do?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment and then walked over to Kagome. He gently took Megumi from her and held the girl. He sat down on the bed.

"Megumi… That man was Naraku." He stated simply.

Megumi brushed the tears from her eyes looked at her father. It took her a minute to comprehend what he had said.

Staring at her father she realized something.

He had gone through countless horrors and suffered endless pain so she and her mother could be happy and safe. He was willing to give up his life for them.

He was courageous, loving, and protective.

She compared herself to her father. She was weak, afraid, and a coward. She'd promised herself she wouldn't let Naraku get away with what he had done to her family, but the mere thought of ever having to see him in person scared her.

She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears, slowly beginning to tell her parents all she remembered of the dream.

"The man… he said something about a demon. And kidnapping the 'priestess' and killing the child." As the soon as the words left her she knew exactly what he had meant. Her eyes widened and she felt tears forming but held them back. If she ever wanted this to end she would have to be strong, like her father.

This dream had helped her to really understand the seriousness of the situation. This man, Naraku, really did want her family dead. He wanted nothing more than to see them suffer. If she allowed herself to be a cry baby, he could easily win. But if she stood up for herself and her family, she might have some hope.

_I might only be six years old… But I have to help stop this. Any way I can! _She thought. She looked to her mother, noting her watery eyes and frightened look.

Megumi stood up and walked to her mother.

"Okaa-san… It's ok. I'm gonna do everything I can to stop him! I promise! We just gotta be strong!" She exclaimed, her arms crossed over her chest and standing tall, trying to resemble her father's brave stature.

Kagome smiled and said, "Thank you Megumi." She hugged the girl and Inuyasha gave a hurt look.

"What?" Kagome asked.

"Is that really what you think I look like when I do that?" He questioned, immediately breaking the tense atmosphere.

Kagome started laughing and Megumi nodded, a broad smile on her face. Even though she had known her father for only a few days, she had already memorized every aspect of him.

Inuyasha stood up and grabbed Megumi by the waist.

"You don't think you can get away with making fun of me like that, do you?" He tousled her hair and began to tickle her.

The little girl giggled and struggled to get away. She called out for her mother and Kagome told her, "Grab his ears, he hates that."  
Megumi stretched her arms up and tweaked his ears, eliciting a yelp from Inuyasha. He quickly let her go and she ran to her mother, giggling wildly.  
Inuyasha glared at them, rubbing his ears.

"Osuwari." Kagome said simply.

Kagome stood and picked Megumi up. She stepped over Inuyasha and walked to the door.

"Don't look at us like that." She told him, a mischievous smile on her face. "We're going downstairs to get some food. We'll talk about all this later."

Megumi and Kagome left the semiconscious Inuyasha to wait for the spell to wear off.

* * *

Well I hope you liked that :)  
I think the ending is cute...:D!

Maybe I rushed things a little..Ah well, theres always revisions to be done -.-;

Also.. heh heh heh.. wait until you see what's going to happen... -devilish laughter- it's going to be awesome..

That is if it ever gets done..  
I wont be updating much, as school starts in a week. I will honestly try my best but now I've got an anime site to co-own plus somuch work I know I will be given at school.. Plus I'm stuck at the moment. I know what I want to happen.. but I just cannot seem to write it. Very sorry.. But I will do as much as I can.

I also must say,.. It's much easier writing while listening to the drama cd.. -laughs my ass off- then again.. they distract me because they are so funny.

**-Kellai-chan-**


	18. Chapter 18 Return to the Past

Ok no excuses.  
Lets just say I've greatly lost my interest in Inuyasha thanks to the English dub which unfortunetly attracts a bunch of arrogant seven year olds who believe they know all. So I'm no longer quite much of a fan. Sadly though, this has brought upon the hiatus of both of my stories. I will do my best to continue.. So thats abuot it. Sorry for those who do like this story but do not expect many updates for a while. I just dislike Inuyasha now as well as I've forgotten most of what i had planned for this story.

As well, school is always an issue, but particularily now when I'm struggling with many personal issues too.

My apoligies.

Chapter 18 - Return to the Past

The sun was just rising as Kagome and Inuyasha sat on the roof of the shrine. The rest of the household was still asleep but the couple had decided to watch the sunrise together.

Kagome sighed and leaned her head against Inuyasha's shoulder. He gently slid his arm around her.

"Inuyasha… I'm worried…" She whispered.

He stared out at the sky and replied, "I know… I am too. There is the possibility of him being able to somehow get through the well again…"

"I mean… About Megumi's dream."

Inuyasha could feel her tense at the thought.

During the previous day, Megumi had retold her dream, in greater detail. She had talked of the white-haired child with the mirror, obviously Kanna, and the scene that had played out in the mirror.

"Kagome…" He began, unsure of how to continue for he, too, was afraid that the scene in the mirror would be played out in real life. "We know that Naraku is going to try and distract us with some demon so he can kidnap you and Megumi. As long as we pay little attention to demons other than him, we should be fine. Don't worry, I will always be there to protect you… and Megumi. I promise you that much, at least."

She smiled and nodded her head.

"I know… I just cant help but worrying…"

"Well, if that bastard ever lays a hand on you or Megumi, I will kill him and show him the real meaning of pain… If it's the last thing I do." He told her.

She sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"That's what I'm afraid of…" She said. He shook his head and looked away. "Well… All we can do for now… Is wait for Megumi to have these dreams. The prophecy can't help us anymore.. I looked at it, and it's finished. The steps are complete…"

Inuyasha nodded, having already figured as much.

"I told Sango-chan and Miroku-sama…" She sighed again. "I don't want to leave."  
"I know, but we're going to have to… If we ever want this to end. We need to avenge all those Naraku has slaughtered. This time, its really going to end. He wont live. We cant let him…" Kagome agreed completely, but a selfish part of her wanted to let the others face it alone. She didn't want to leave the safety of her home, her era. But she knew you had to. She couldn't let that little voice sway her. She now had a child to protect, and would have to be stronger than ever. They were about to begin a fight for their lives. A fight for the world.

"I'm really going to miss this era…" Sango said, a touch of sadness in her voice. "Not only for all of its conveniences… More for the fact that it's just so peaceful here. The fact that demons do not exist here is so calming…"

Kagome sighed and looked at the yard, which was covered in darkness. It was almost ten o'clock.

"Maybe one day you'll be able to come back and visit." She said, optimistically. Kagome and the taijiya made their way towards Inuyasha and Megumi, who had been training all day.

"Okaa-san!" Megumi cried. She jumped from a low branch on a tree and into her mother's arms. Inuyasha jumped down beside them.

"She's done really good , Kagome. She's as ready as she'll ever be…" Inuyasha told her. Megumi nodded excitedly quickly retelling the details of the day to her mother.

"And I jumped from the highest branch on the tree! And I landed, all by myself! And all of my arrows hit near the centre! And otou-san taught me all to tell the difference between smells of stuff and how to hear stuff better!"

Kagome laughed and congratulated the girl. She held her tightly, telling the others she would take Megumi in and put her to bed. They nodded, and Kagome walked towards the house, hearing more about her daughter's day.

Inuyasha watched Kagome as she entered the house, and then turned to Sango.

"I hope you still know how to use Hiraikotsu…" He said, a look of seriousness upon his face. She seemed a little surprised at first, and then nodded.

"You actually think I would forget how to use this? Every night since you left, I came out to practise in the dark. I never knew when you might come back, so I had to keep myself in shape." She explained, with a smile.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd just leave it." He told her, a slight smirk, aware of her attachment to the weapon. He watched as she walked into one of the storehouses and grabbed the boomerang.

Though the yard was large for this era, it was not what Sango had been used to when practising with her Hiraikotsu. Although, over the past six years, it had certainly proved it's worth to her. With all of the things to watch out for when throwing her weapon, she had gained more control over the exact location of where it would go when she threw it.

She exhaled and heaved the weapon up, throwing it into the air. It turned quickly and flew back to her. She grabbed it with practised ease.

He smirked and complimented her. Then another thought struck him. When he had been thinking about the type of fighting each member of their group was capable of, he had assumed Miroku still had full control over his kazaana. But, in the past six years, anything about it could have changed.

"Sango… About Miroku's kazaana. Has anything changed with it?" He asked, curiously.

She shook her head.

"That's the strange thing… Nothing has changed. We discussed it a few times. We assumed that either Naraku had gotten weaker, was unable to control it from the other era, or just did not care anymore." She told the hanyou. "We now know that Naraku has not gotten weaker. So it must be one of the two latter reasons."

He nodded and gave her his own reasoning.

"He was probably unable to control it across the two times. And Miroku had no reason to use it here, so it shouldn't have gotten any larger. That's good, because it'll mean when we go back, it'll be the same size as it was when we left."

She voiced her agreement and then decided they should get down to training. Sango told Inuyasha not to use any incredibly destructive Tetsusaiga techniques, as they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. He rolled his eyes but agreed, as the taijiya called Kirara. The rest of the night was spent perfecting battle techniques and strategies.

Leaving her era, though she had done it with such ease many years before, seemed quite bittersweet on this dreary night. It had begun to rain again, quite heavily, which did not ease anyone's mood.

Kagome had, for the most part, enjoyed her journeys to the past, but she knew today would be much different. They weren't going towards sunny skies and carefree days of hunting shards at their leisure. They were going to war. There was, seemingly, nothing to look forward to. Based on Inuyasha's description of the past seven years, life had become hell for those who dared defy -and those who didn't-Naraku. The landscape had become barren, the air streaked with the smell of rotting flesh and death.

Not only that, but Kagome was still weary about having to bring her little girl there. Megumi had grown in a world of happiness and peace. To bring her into such a terrible wasteland was going to be cruel. And even more, to expect her to fight for her life… It was nearly unthinkable. Nothing Kagome could tell the girl would prepare her for what was to come.

The next few moments brought a solemn air about the group. Last minute checks were made quietly and when they were sure they had what they needed to last them the next little while, the farewells began. A few tears were shed by the girls, for they were unsure if they would ever see Ms Higurashi again. Souta hugged Shippo goodbye and told him he hoped to see him again. Sango and Miroku thanked Ms Higurashi greatly, for all she had done for them. Kagome gently hugged her grandfather and he told her he would pray for a safe journey. She kissed her little brother goodbye.

Kagome held back more tears, promising herself she would see this place, and her family once again. If only for Megumi's sake…

And without a glance back, they made their way to the well.

"We're back.." Shippo stated simply. Kagome stood beside Inuyasha, Megumi in her arms. To the right of them were Miroku and Sango, with Kirara on her shoulder.

Megumi stared at the land, surprised by its simplicity. She had been expecting something more magical and colourful. She hadn't thought the world would be so similar to her own. Her face held a look of disappointment.

Kagome noticed it and asked, "What's wrong, Megumi?"

Megumi looked at her mother and said, "This place looks boring."

Despite the feelings of sadness of departure from such a wonderful era, the group began to laugh and the little girl blushed.

"Well, I assure you, this place is far from boring. In any case, you'll see soon enough what I mean." Miroku told her. The girl nodded, slightly confused.

"Well… Let's get going." Inuyasha suggested. "You'll want to see this…"

"Oh my god…"

The group made their way through what used to have been a forest. All around them the ground was burnt. The village was no longer there, but they could make out the faint impressions of the crude graves Kagome and Inuyasha had made nearly seven years ago. The place was a wasteland.

Kagome hadn't wanted to believe what Inuyasha had told them, but it was true. She turned her head towards the well, feeling unsettled at the fact that area around the well and Goshinboku remained untouched and beautiful as ever. As the group stared at their dismal surroundings, she felt she should point it out.

"Did anyone notice that the area surrounding the well is in perfect condition?" She asked, holding Megumi's hand tightly. "You'd think Naraku would want to defile that area most of all…"

Miroku gazed at it for a moment, in thought.

"Perhaps… He was unable to. Maybe the sacred tree has some sort power that protects itself, the well, and the nearby land?" He suggested. "And it can resist Naraku's evil power."

Inuyasha nodded impatiently, wanting to move along. There were many things that needed to be done before nightfall.

"Alright, let's get going. We need to find somewhere safe to set up camp for the night…" He said, glancing around as he tried to decide on a direction which would be best.

As they set off towards the west, Inuyasha was struck with a thought of guilt. Kikyo had given up her life to give him a chance at one he had yearned for, and yet... Naraku had never really been dead. Her death had been in vain. What she had thought she would be leaving for Inuyasha, a world of peace and love, had really become a world of destruction and sorrow.

He glanced at Kagome, to whom Megumi was clinging to. He was not stupid enough to bring up the subject of Kikyo yet again. Although Kagome had shown maturity and empathy when they had talked of her earlier, he did not want to press the subject. This was something, among other things, he would deal with personally.

_I will avenge you Kikyo_, he promised himself. He would make sure that her death had not been in vain. That all of this pain, suffering, and death was not in vain. 

Hours had past, and as nightfall seemed to swoop down upon them, they settled on a small, thickly forested area. No fire was started that night, for fear of attracting unwanted attention, so they shivered through chilly night.

As everyone slept, Inuyasha sat high on a tree branch, keeping his eye on the fading moon. Within a few days the new moon would come and he would be unable to protect them. He feared Naraku would attack then, and he would be useless. He knew that as well trained as they all were, none could match Naraku's terrifying powers.

He had to get everyone to Kouga's den. As much as he loathed the wolf, Kouga had assisted him in the past and they were all fighting towards a similar goal. Inuyasha would not allow himself to be seen in his human form by Kouga or the wolves, he could not reveal his weakness to them. But at least they would be able to protect Kagome and Megumi.

He glanced down at Megumi, who was wrapped in her mothers arms, sleeping peacefully. Not once had the girl complained about anything. She had done exactly as she was told, and only once asked to stop, but that was to fix her shoes. She showed strength and determination for one so little, and Inuyasha appreciated her for it. He had expected her to whine about the less than comfortable living and journey situations… But she had not. This girl was a unique and determined one. He knew he would be able to depend on her in the future.

As he thought of her, and his plan to visit the wolf den something struck him. Kouga had not seen Kagome in years… And Inuyasha had kindly forgotten to tell him that they had a child.

What would Kouga do? Inuyasha smirked and thought that the look on Kouga's face when Inuyasha told him who Megumi was would bring a little bit of joy to this sad world of his.

Lost in his thoughts, Inuyasha barely had time to comprehend what happened in the next few seconds. From his spot in the tree, he had been unable to see the approaching demon. He cursed himself for not spotting it with his senses first. He barely had time to jump from the tree before chaos overtook the group.

Within seconds everyone was up, Kagome was screaming, Sango holding Hiraikotsu tightly, and Kirara taking off through the forest. It was clear that the speedy demon had kidnapped Megumi, but the reason for doing so was not as clear. Inuyasha ran to Kagome and as they took off in the direction the demon had gone, she told him the demon, who had a human-like form, had taken the little girl right from her arms. Kagome had fought the demon but was pushed to the ground and couldn't reach the girl.

The group had not gotten far before they saw a large burst of white light and heard Megumi's scream. They ran faster and it was Kirara they found beside the child. The fire cat was nuzzling the little girl, trying to console her. Kagome ran over and picked up Megumi, hugging her tightly.

It was only when Inuyasha came close enough did he see the lifeless body of the demon. It was clearly dead, but Kirara had not killed it. Though maybe she knew how it had died. It couldn't suddenly have dropped dead, the white light must have had something to do with it.

Kirara transformed into her small self and looked at Inuyasha, then towards Megumi. He stared, unable to believe what the fire cat implied. How could a six year old have killed a full fledged demon?

"Inuyasha…" Miroku called. He was leaning over the body of the demon, looking at something on its face.

The half demon moved closer and inspected it. He had obviously missed the large burn marks on the demon's neck when he had glanced at it before. The burn marks were the size of two small hands. When the monk pulled the demon's tunic down slightly, Inuyasha spotted a few more.

"What do you think-" The monk began, but Inuyasha moved to his daughter.

"Megumi… What happened?" He asked.

Teary eyed, the child looked up from her mother's shirt and at her father. She looked down at her hands and shook her head.

"Megumi… You need to tell me. It's very important." He pressed on.

The girl sniffled and looked at her mother. Kagome nodded, knowing how important it was and just happy to have her daughter back, safe in her arms.

"I was sleeping… And it grabbed me!" She cried, her small hands curling into fists. "It started running and I felt really warm inside. Then… I started hitting it because I wanted to go back to Mama." The little girl glanced at her hands again and continued. "When I hit it… A really bright light shot out from my hands and the thing dropped me and stopped moving… Did I kill it!" She began to cry again, the thought of inflicting pain upon others frightening her.

Kagome consoled Megumi as Inuyasha pondered what she had said. As Kagome held the girl close, she realized something that Kaede had told her long ago.

"Inuyasha, that demon has been purified." She stated simply. In one of her many stays at the village, Kaede had began to teach Kagome the ways of a priestess. She taught her which kinds of herbs to use for different wounds, very minor bits of magic that could help speed the healing process along, but also the art of purification. It was something Kagome had never grasped nor gained control over and it only occurred in small amounts when a feeling of great fear or danger came over her. When she had first travelled through the well a white light had shot out of her hands, stunning the centipede demon.

Kaede had explained that priestesses, such as Kikyo, had trained themselves to be able to purify demons at will. It required strength and practise, but over time, if one's internal power was great enough, they could purify demons and make them less of a threat by decreasing their powers. Purification of a half demon, though there had not been a recorded case of it, was thought to cause the demon to become full human or whatever less powerful side of lineage there was. Common signs, as Kaede had told her, were burn marks, bruising, and death in severe cases.

_And of course the white light of a miko's power… _Kagome remembered.

"How do you figure?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, the white light is clearly a priestess' power at work." Came an answer from Miroku. "These burns are clear signs of purification as Kagome-sama has indicated. The question now is how did they come to be?"

Kagome stared at her daughter, wondering if this was what the prophecy meant by a secret power possessed by the 'chosen one' to destroy Naraku.

"I think I understand what happened…" Kagome began. As she explained to the group her ideas, things seemed to fit into place. Megumi clarified that the white light had come from her hands as she struck the demon in an attempt to free herself.

It was beginning to become strikingly clear how special this little girl really was.

"You know, even when I mistakenly used my powers, just as she did now, they were never near as strong…" Kagome said.

"And I have a feeling this is only the tip of the iceberg…" Inuyasha added, walking towards the little girl. He took her from Kagome and said that there was something important he needed to tell her. "Megumi…"

* * *

Hopefully I will begin to write more soon. Sorry for any errors, I have no beta.

I really do loathe this story. Its quite poorly written and yet I'm too lazy to go through and rewrite it because I feel its beyond help. thank you to those who actually believe in this story (can I even call something this bad that?) My writing style has fortunetly developed but I've yet to write a new chapter with my new 'skills.'  
Seriously though, thank you to anyone who commented and reads this. It does mean a lot to hear the compliments and suggestions. Thanks.

Anyhow, hope you enjoyed it.


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